Discrimination Agaisnt Women in Morocco Term Paper

But domestic violence has not been eliminated. Nor have other discriminatory traditions, such as polygamy. "Although the practice of polygamy is declining, it continues to be a threat to women, as it undermines a woman's dignity, perpetuates notions of male dominance, and above all creates domestic environments where women become vulnerable to abuse because they are in the difficult position of agreeing to their husbands' marriage or asking for divorce." Under the CEDAW, the United Nations have increased their efforts to reduce polygamy and in their report, stated: "Polygamous marriage contravenes a woman's right to equality with men and can have such serious emotional and financial consequences for her and her dependents that such marriages ought to be discouraged and prohibited."

The application of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Morocco has also highlighted some disturbing facts in the constitution of the North African country. For instance, however it implied the equality between genders, it nowhere clearly specified it, leaving as such room for interpretations. Then, the Moroccan law forbade women to declare their children Moroccans if the father, whether the husband or not, was of a different nationality. The CEDAW offered them this right.

5. Conclusions

Morocco has implemented the CEDAW and has increased their efforts to reduce discrimination against women and promote gender equality. But the country remains divided between traditionalists and modernists, and the populations' mentality cannot be changed through international regulations. The regulations in the CEDAW were supported by the Morocco King Mohammed IV who implemented a wide series of laws to support women's rights. But the measures only fuelled the everlasting controversy between liberals and conservatives. "An estimated 100,000 people marched in Rabat in support of the government's proposed reforms in March 2000, while a counter-demonstration led by Islamists in Casablanca drew 200,000 to 500,000. As the new monarch began to liberalize Moroccan politics, women's rights became a flashpoint for the growing Islamist opposition."

References

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Discrimination, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, the Online Version, 2008

Official Website of the United Nations

Fuegen, K., Biernat, M., Defining Discrimination in the Personal / Group Discrimination Discrepancy, University of Kansas, 2002

Rhoodie, E.M., Discrimination Against Women: A Global Survey of the Economic, Educational Social and Political Status of Women, 1989

Benninger-Budel, C., Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women by Morocco, CEDAW, 2003

Official Website of the United Nations

Moroccan Culture Series - Women in Morocco, About.com, 2008

Excerpts from the speech of King Mohammed IV, BBC News, 2003

Sabra, M., Morocco's King Takes a Courageous Step, Quantara - Dialogue with the Islamic World, 2004

Kingdom of Morocco and Western Sahara, Emory Law

Conditions of Women, United Nations Development Programme

Benninger-Budel, C., Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women by Morocco, CEDAW, 2003

Conditions of Women, United Nations Development Programme