Divorce Rates Soar in Morocco as Women Increasingly Seek Marital Dissolution

The entry into force of the Moudawana in 2004 reduced the number of divorces, but this number has increased considerably to reach 26,957 cases in 2021, i.e. 6,585 more than in 2020. Divorces by mutual consent reached 76%, compared to only 7% in 2004, reports the daily Assabah citing the Ministry of Justice. As for revocable divorce, it has dropped considerably. It went from 7,146 cases in 2004 to 526 cases in 2021. Women are the ones who most often request divorce. Previously, they were deprived of the right to request divorce.

The right for women to request divorce appears to be the main cause of the multiplication of divorces in Morocco. Another cause: the recourse of spouses to polygamy. The law gives the first wife, if she does not agree, the right to automatically request and obtain divorce. The clearing of cases that remained pending in the specialized courts, which did not function normally during the Covid-19 pandemic, could also justify the increase in divorces in 2021.