In Morocco, cfd supports organisations that work to empower women and underprivileged children or adolescents. With the help of media campaigns and lobbying, they are improving the legal and social status of these marginalised groups. The 'Ligue Démocratique pour les Droits de la Femme' (LDDF) is a partner organisation that is playing a leading role in the political disputes and in the reform of Family Law. The new 'Code de la Famille', which came into effect in the beginning of 2004, can be seen as one of the great successes of the women's movement in Morocco. However, even with the new laws, the implementation of gender equality remains a challenge.

Many are Marginalised

The social gap between a wealthy upper class and the harshly underprivileged majority of the population is continually widening: about one third of the 31.7 million Moroccans live under the poverty line, 48% of the population and almost 70% of women can neither read nor write. Urbanisation is acerbating the social tensions. There is a high ratio of unemployment and very few jobs. Due to a firmly entrenched tradition of discrimination, as well as a lack of education, women in particular have hardly any access to paid work. So far, the hopes raised by King Mohamed VI for substantial political reforms and a reduction of poverty have not been realised.

Children's Rights and the 'Petites Bonnes'

Poverty forces many families to send their children to work. According to estimates, 16% of Moroccan children are in vulnerable situations as street peddlers or sex workers. The use of under-age girls as domestic servants (petites bonnes) is a particularly wide-spread practice. Thanks to cfd's partner organisations, the exploitation of these young women in private households has become a topic of public debate. 'Petites bonnes' that fall pregnant are usually rejected by both their families of origin and the families that employ them, and are in danger of being criminalised as prostitutes by the law.

Really Improving of the Situation of Women

The new Family Law greatly improves the legal situation of women. With the new laws, the responsibility for the family rests with both husband and wife. Women are no longer legally obliged to obey their husbands, and they can now marry without the consent of a father or a brother. The minimum age for the marriage of girls has been raised to 18 years and polygamy now has strict limits. Women can more easily file for divorce and request custody of the children. However, women's organisations have given a mixed report on the implementation of the new legal system: outside of Casablanca, the courts still largely rule according to the old laws. The organisations are working hard to change this: they are making the new laws known on all levels of society with information and empowerment campaigns, as well as with public relations and lobbying. To ensure a consistent implementation of the new laws, they systematically monitor legal practice, as well as offering a focused training program to judges and lawyers.