Centers for women victims of violence: taboo broken, service provision, documented extent of VAW in Morocco No current legislation on VAW Existing laws are insufficient to prevent, investigate, and punish VAW crimes or protect victims discriminatory not enforced in VAW cases contradictory Government has been announcing forthcoming VAW bill since Fall 2006 Voices of women victims of violence not yet coalesced into reform movement
Build local NGO partner capacity for legislative advocacy Communications, lobbying, bill drafting, lawmaking structures and processes Relationships with local and national decision-makers Mobilization in national network in support of campaign That results in a VAW law Promoting women s human rights, in conformity with international human rights standards, 1st of its kind Through grassroots level consultations on content and participation in process Educational and empowering process for women involved Respond to the reality of women s lives and defend their interests Support for and sense of ownership over reform Credibility and acceptance of the law Ensure its application and sustainability Government accountability to constituencies and transparency in lawmaking process
- 10 partner NGOs + 39 additional local NGOs - 94 facilitators trained - 161 community consultations - 35 cities, towns and rural villages across Morocco - 1836 women participated
12 legal reforms Participatory illustrations Accompanying Discussion Booklet
Meetings with National Parliamentarians and Ministries Local Town Hall Meetings
21 days Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 23, 2009 4000 kilometres around the country Stopping in 33 diverse cities, towns and villages
What did we do? Conducted mass distribution of our Promoting a Violence against Women Act poster, accompanying Arabic language discussion booklet Conducted 17 community mobilization meetings and popular human rights education sessions with over 1100 women at the grassroots level Held 20 round tables and workshops on women s human rights for over 700 local civil society members, legal professional, authorities and decision-makers
What did the women in grassroots level meetings say? - Enthusiasm for first time such activity ever held in their community - Spoke openly and actively about VAW in groups, sought individual assistance after sessions I tried to kill myself several times but unfortunately the roofs of the houses here in my village are to low to kill yourself by throwing your self off of them. A 23 year old women, M hamid el Ghislan
What did the women in grassroots level meetings say? - Think a VAW law is necessary and desirable, enthusiastic to participate in national initiative «We have to prove violence through witnesses, and this is impossible. We have to change the law to find other means to prove violence against women other than witness testimony. - A group of women, Bou Izakaren
What did the women in grassroots level meetings say? - They know something is wrong but lack the information, the tools and the institutional support to act on it «My case has been in front of the courts for 10 years now and during this entire time my children and I continue to live with violence, and without any financial support.» - A woman, Ouarzazate
What did the women in grassroots level meetings say? - Numerous examples of unsuccessful attempts at soliciting state intervention and assistance from non responsive public institutions «I had a miscarriage because of my husband s violence. When I was pregnant a second time and my husband beat me, I went to the police station to make a complaint. My husband came to the station and threatened to kill me in front of the police, who did not intervene or arrest my husband. They just asked us to leave the station with no worries for what would happen to me. - A woman, Nador
What did the women in grassroots level meetings say? - Silence on VAW to avoid public scandal and for lack of any solution «One night I fled from my home in pyjamas and ran to the police station to file a complaint against my violent husband. The police told me there was nothing they could do for me and told me to go back home. - A woman, Oujda
What did we learn from the civil society round tables? - Resistance to idea of gender specific violence or need for specific law - Vision of problem as ignorance, see education/awareness-raising as solution to VAW - Resistance to legal strategies and lack of appreciation of role of law in a society - Lack of faith in Rule of Law post 2004 Family Law reforms - Ambivalence about increased police powers in a transitional national reconciliation context
How can I get more information about this Initiative? www.globalrights.org With many thanks to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Rabat for their generous support of this initiative The Advocates for Human Rights (Minnesota) for their technical assistance And our local Moroccan partner NGOs Association Amal pour la femme et le développement (El Hajeb) Association el Amane pour le développement de la femme) (Marrakech) Association Tawaza pour le plaidoyer de la femme (Tétouan) Association Tafiil Moubadarat (Taza) Association Tafoukt Souss pour le développement de la femme (Agadir) Espace Draa pour le développement de la femme (Zagora) Association Bades (Al Hoceima) Association des jeunes avocats (Khemisset) Espace Oasis Tafilalet pour le développement (Rissani) La Voix de la Femme Amazigh (Rabat)