Study Reveals Urgent Need to Combat Child Marriage in Morocco

The results of the study were presented at a press conference organized in Casablanca at the end of the week. On this occasion, the president of the Foundation, Najat Ikhich, stressed the urgency of creating a deterrent regulatory framework against those who continue to promote child marriage, according to the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia.

According to the study, 86% of women do not master the provisions of the Family Code and consequently do not know their rights. 14% of the women surveyed are not aware of the existence of this Code, the same source points out, stressing that these women, despite their ignorance of the texts, are mostly against child marriage.

For 97% of them, girls should focus on their studies and training and should not marry before the age of majority set at 18 years. The remaining 3%, in favor of child marriage, justify their position by the lack of quality training infrastructure for young girls.

For the Ytto Foundation, child marriage must be considered as a physical, sexual and mental violence against the victims and must be severely punished to deter potential perpetrators of such a practice. It pleaded for the establishment of boarding schools dedicated to girls to allow them to receive quality training under better conditions, which would contribute to their fulfillment and prevent school dropouts of these minors and their early marriage.