Two counselling and listening centers in Morocco, Injad and Femmes Solidaires, have revealed their reports on gender-based violence in Morocco in 2018 during a press conference in Rabat on November 22, showing an increase of a little less than 2000 cases compared the year before.

According to the reports of Injad and Femmes Solidaires on gender-based violence, around 12,233 cases were recorded in 2018, compared with 10,959 cases in 2017.

The report that was made by the two networks under the supervision of the Federation of Women’s Rights League, details that 48.95% of the violence that women are subjugated to is psychological. Socio-economic violence came second at a rate of 24.42% of the cases whereas physical and sexual violence came third and forth at 15.7% and 4.68%, respectively.

The report also reveals that the majority of victims of gender-based violence in Morocco are housewives with low levels of education.

The president of Injad network, Fatima Chtatou, expressed her indignation at the surge recorded at the level of the affiliated listening centers. She also highlighted the importance adopting laws that align with the 2011 constitution the international conventions on protecting women from gender-based violence that Morocco has ratified.

The report also notes improvements as far as the coordination between the associations in the field and operating in courts, hospitals, and at the level of the judicial police. In these regards, the networks have been linking victims with justice and public institutions, helping the victims get free medical certificates and medications, and speeding up the police processes.

However, the inadequacy of the infrastructure and health services, the poor communication, the absence of support vis-à-vis the women facing violence and their children, the inability to activate the protection and prevention measures provided for by Law No. 103-13 related to combating violence against women are some of the problems that affect the work of these networks.