Unemployment Fuels Rise in Child Marriage Requests in Morocco, Minister Reports

According to the daily newspaper Al Massae, the Moroccan minister stated that the number of child marriages in Morocco continues to increase, with more than 32,000 requests filed in 2018, of which 26,240 were accepted.

Commenting on these figures, the minister indicated that this situation was becoming increasingly alarming. According to him, 98% of the requests were filed by unemployed individuals.

Fatiha Sedass, a member of parliament from the socialist group, noted that in rural areas, families often marry off their daughters at the age of 12 for economic and social reasons. However, she stressed that the specificities of Moroccan society must be taken into account.

As for women’s rights defenders, they have always considered the current texts insufficient and have not failed to call for reforms to counter this growing phenomenon in Morocco.