HIBAPRESS – c. Mahyawi
The Working Women and Entrepreneur Organization in Morocco launched its national program for advocacy and awareness on gender-based violence, coinciding with the Orange Days to combat violence against women and girls, which runs from November 25th to December 10th of each year. This initiative comes in an international and regional context that is witnessing a worrying increase in various forms of violence, and an increase in manifestations of fragility that exacerbate the suffering of women, especially within work spaces and economic and social systems.
The organization affirmed that gender-based violence, in its physical, psychological, sexual, economic, and digital forms, is a flagrant violation of the basic rights guaranteed constitutionally, foremost of which are dignity, equality, non-discrimination, the right to physical and psychological safety, and equal opportunities. These rights are based on the provisions of the Moroccan constitution and the Kingdom's obligations under international conventions, foremost of which is the "CEDAW" convention and the International Labor Organization Convention No. 190 on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work. National and international data indicates that violence remains a widespread phenomenon despite recent legal reforms. Field reports reveal that women continue to be subjected to violence within the family, educational institutions, public spaces, and digital platforms, but the most dangerous of which remains violence in the workplace due to its direct link to the economic independence and professional safety of women. The Working Women and Entrepreneur Organization in Morocco recorded that many working women and entrepreneurs face complex forms of violence, ranging from harassment and discrimination in hiring and promotion, to exclusion within decision-making structures, pressure and retaliation when filing complaints, as well as violations that affect basic labor rights, such as deprivation of fair wages or social coverage or the imposition of discriminatory working conditions. The organization believes that these practices reflect the persistence of what is known as "structural violence," which is the most dangerous given its institutional nature and its ability to reproduce discrimination within organizational and administrative systems. It affirms that combating it requires comprehensive legislative and administrative reforms, and activating protection, prevention, and accountability mechanisms within institutions. Despite the importance of Law 103-13 on combating violence against women, the organization considers that practical implementation still faces obstacles related to slow procedures, lack of training, limited legal and psychological support, and the weakness of complaint reception and protection mechanisms for informants, in addition to the absence of explicit texts that criminalize economic and institutional violence. It also warned of the increase in digital violence that targets working women and entrepreneurs through defamation, extortion, and electronic harassment, which makes the digital space fraught with risks despite its economic and professional importance. The organization stressed that eliminating gender-based violence constitutes an essential condition for achieving development and social justice, calling for the adoption of a comprehensive approach based on prevention, protection, and accountability, by enhancing awareness within institutions, generalizing reporting and protection mechanisms in workplaces, and reviewing legislation to include the criminalization of institutional and economic violence. The organization renews its commitment to continue advocacy and field support to protect women and empower them economically and institutionally, calling on governmental, institutional and civil actors to make combating violence a national issue that requires coordinating efforts and achieving the desired structural change.
