Speaking at the opening of a round-table, held remotely under the theme "Together to make the elimination of violence against girls and women a national priority", Chami noted that according to figures from the Office of the High Commissioner for Planning (HCP), 57% of the female population has suffered at least one act of violence in the twelve months preceding the HCP survey in 2019, i.e. more than 7.6 million women out of 13.4 million females aged between 15 and 74.

Deploring these "alarming" figures, the Moroccan official stressed that "a country cannot claim any development if half of its living force is excluded or suffers violence in any form."

Violence against women is a flagrant violation of human rights, he said, highlighting the irreversible psychological effects of such acts as well as their economic, social and environmental costs.

According to him, mentalities, stereotypes and cultural constraints are the main obstacles for women seeking economic autonomy and emancipation.

For her part, Representative of UN Women in the Maghreb, Leila Rhiwi described violence against girls and women as one of the most serious violations of human rights, given that the Covid-19 health crisis has contributed to the increase in violence.

Concerning Morocco, the representative welcomed the efforts made and the progress achieved in this area thanks in particular to the commitment of civil society and public policies.

Welcoming the adoption of Law No. 103-13 on combating violence against women, Rhiwi expressed hope that bill No. 10.16 amending and supplementing the Penal Code would further contribute to combating discrimination against women.

Fighting violence against women can be done at three levels: prevention of violence, protection of victims and punishment of perpetrators, she said.

This virtual meeting was attended by several government officials, diplomats and members of civil society. It was an opportunity to highlight the progress and challenges faced by Morocco in this area and to make concrete recommendations to strengthen the impact of public policies on the prevention and elimination of violence against girls and women.

It was also an opportunity to present the Council's opinion titled "Eliminating violence against girls and women: a national emergency", which was unanimously adopted on November 26, 2020, during the 116th Ordinary Session of CESE's General Assembly.