Middle East Monitor
Maher Abu Tair
October 31, 2016 at 6:08 pm
A number of civil society organisations in Morocco have called for a ban on polygamy and underage marriage.
The Civil Organisation for the Advocacy of Civil and Political Rights in Morocco, an umbrella group which consists of the Moroccan Human Rights Organisation, Adala Association for the Right to a Fair Trial, Anfas Democratic Movement, National Association of Young Lawyers and the National Federation of Amazigh Association, presented the demands before members of the UN Human Rights Committee.
Morocco’s Hespress newspaper reported the groups calling for the abolishment of what they referred to as “discriminatory provisions in the laws”, focusing in particular on polygamy, underage marriage, and abolishing the illegality of medical abortion.
The legal age for marriage in Morocco is 18, however judges have the right to approve the marriage of minors. This has led to much controversy.
The rights groups also called for mothers to be afforded the right to attain medical abortions in special cases.
