Survey Reveals Divided Moroccan Views on Domestic Violence Reporting

While more than half of Moroccans (51%) believe that domestic violence should be treated as a private matter to be resolved within the family, 48% nevertheless consider it a criminal issue that should involve the police, reveals a recent survey on violence against women, conducted by the Afrobarometer network. Similarly, more than half of the respondents (51%) believe that victims of gender-based violence are likely to be criticized, harassed or stigmatized by others in society if they report these crimes to the authorities.

The survey also shows that gender-based violence is the second most important issue in terms of women’s rights that Moroccans want their government and society to address. More than two-thirds of Moroccans (68%) say that violence against women is "not common" or "not at all common" in their society, against 31% of them, including 36% of women, who dispute this statement.

According to 76% of those surveyed (84% among women compared to 67% among men) by Afrobarometer, it is never justifiable for a man to use physical force against his wife. Finally, 83% of respondents believe that the police are likely to take gender-based violence cases seriously.