Moroccan MPs Challenge Hotel Ban on Single Women Amid Discrimination Concerns

Three parliamentary groups from the majority, namely those of the Rassemblement national des indépendants (RNI), the Parti authenticité et modernité (PAM) and the Istiqlal, have questioned Abdellatif Ouahbi on the prohibition for women who cannot present a marriage certificate to stay in hotels. They have requested an urgent meeting of the Justice, Legislation and Human Rights Committee in the presence of the minister.

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During a session of the House of Councillors on Tuesday, Abdellatif Ouahbi opposed the requirements of hotels. Requiring a marriage certificate or any other document without legal mandate from Moroccan couples as a condition for assigning them a hotel room is an illegal practice and an invasion of privacy, he denounced. The minister also considers it discriminatory and unjustifiable by law that some hotels require women to provide a certificate proving that they do not reside in the city where they wish to book a hotel room.

"I have been looking for 20 years for a basis for this practice, but I have found none," Ouahbi assured, issuing a warning to anyone who would require unauthorized documents from citizens. They are liable to legal proceedings. The minister calls on all entities to respect the rights and privacy of individuals.