Moroccan Activist Exposes ’Pleasure Marriages’ Exploiting Rural Women

Pleasure marriages are in the sights of Leila Ghandi. Thus, these "fixed-term" marriages are for her a technique used by men to satisfy their base desires before taking off.

Accompanied by Imane, one of the victims of these pleasure marriages who requires anonymity, Leila Ghandi affirms in a video: "These women got married and lived their marriage as the most beautiful day of their life... They find themselves without a husband, deflowered in a family and a whole society that despises, stigmatizes, excludes and points the finger at single women who are not virgins."

For her, the main problem is that the women who are victims of it cannot really prove the marriage because it only took place with "La Fatiha". The men would take advantage of it to, once their sexual desires are satisfied, "disappear from the radar and no longer show any sign of life". Their rights are not protected by a legal marriage.

Leila Ghandi fiercely defends the victims: "I would like to tell these young women not to be ashamed. You have done nothing wrong, nothing illegal. Society must change and must rather punish these men who take advantage of your naivety." She also invites people not to judge these abused and disillusioned women because "these women feel they have lost everything, several of them want to commit suicide following their situation."