Moroccan Textile Workers Expose Widespread Sexual Abuse, Sparking Global Petition

The purpose of this petition is to gather resounding support from countries and sound the alarm before an international summit on women’s rights. In Morocco, 54.4% of women have been victims of violence, according to the latest national survey by the Ministry of Family published in May 2019. But silence remains the norm. Only 28.2% of abused women have approached a person or institution, and 6.6% have filed a complaint against their aggressor, according to the same survey.

Through this action, the network indicates that the public "still has a few weeks to contribute to the adoption of a revolutionary treaty and support ambitious national reforms that could protect women around the world against workplace violence". The petition stresses that "6 countries have already ratified this treaty, but many more will be needed to make it the norm worldwide [...] and this, before the next international summit on women’s rights". The text also notes that "nearly 1 in 4 countries has no law against sexual harassment at work - and in countries that do, they are sometimes inadequate", reports Hespress.

In Morocco, Law 103-13 was adopted on February 14, 2018. It criminalizes "certain acts considered as forms of harassment, aggression, exploitation or ill-treatment". The petition insists that "this treaty could be a game-changer. For the first time, countries could be forced to adopt national laws against workplace violence, to take preventive measures and to guarantee access to remedies for survivors".