DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Morocco
North Africa · Country law profile
Morocco: women’s rights and civic space laws
Morocco’s 2011 Constitution guarantees equality between women and men in Article 19, and Law 103-13 of 2018 created the first dedicated legal framework on violence against women. The 2004 Family Code still allows judges to authorise the marriage of minors and permits polygamy under conditions. Daughters inherit half the share of sons. Abortion is a crime except to protect the woman’s health, and marital rape is not explicitly criminalised. A revision of the Family Code was launched in 2023 and its main proposals were announced in December 2024, yet the 2004 Code remained in force as of September 2026. CIVICUS rates civic space as obstructed.
At a glance
| Capital | Rabat |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Mixed legal system based on French civil law and Islamic law, with the 2004 Family Code (Moudawana) governing personal status |
| Official languages | Arabic and Amazigh (Tamazight) |
Key indicators
18 for both sexesMinimum legal age of marriage (2026)
14% (1% before 15)Child marriage rate (% married before 18) (2018)
13,335 granted out of 19,926 requestsAuthorisations for marriage of minors (2020)
60.95World Bank WBL 2026 legal frameworks index (2026)
57%Lifetime prevalence of violence against women (2019)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | Not signed or ratified. Morocco rejoined the African Union in 2017 and was among 12 AU member states yet to ratify as of November 2022 | |
| CEDAW | Ratified 21 June 1993 | Reservations to Articles 9(2) and 16 withdrawn in 2011; interpretative declarations on Article 2 and Article 15(4) maintained according to EuroMed Rights |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | Acceded April 2022 | |
| ICCPR | Ratified 3 May 1979 | |
| Budapest Convention on Cybercrime | Ratified 29 June 2018; in force for Morocco 1 October 2018 |
Constitution
| Constitution | Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Equality guarantees | Article 19 guarantees women and men equal civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights and commits the state to work towards parity |
| Quotas or parity | Article 19 provides for an Authority for Parity and the Fight against All Forms of Discrimination (APALD), regulated by Law 79-14 of 21 December 2017; women’s rights groups reported in 2022 that the authority had still not been made operational |
National laws
Gender-based and domestic violence
Law 103-13 on combating violence against women (Dahir 1-18-19 of 22 February 2018)
Defines violence against women, criminalises new acts such as forced marriage and dissipation of property to evade maintenance, doubles penalties when the perpetrator is a spouse or relative, and allows courts to bar contact with the victim for up to five years. It entered into force in September 2018 and set up care units in courts and police services along with committees at several administrative levels.
Gaps: Human Rights Watch notes the law has no definition of domestic violence, sets no duties for police and prosecutors, and makes protection orders depend on criminal proceedings. It provides no state funding for shelters.
Rape and sexual offences
Penal Code, Article 486, and Law of January 2014 amending Article 475
Article 486 punishes rape. In January 2014 parliament unanimously deleted the wording of Article 475 that let a man who abducted a minor escape prosecution by marrying her.
Gaps: Marital rape is not explicitly criminalised; the government told CEDAW in 2022 that Article 486 covers all non-consensual sex including between spouses, while HRW and Amnesty report it is not criminalised. Rape survivors risk prosecution under Article 490 on sex outside marriage.
Sexual harassment
Penal Code, Articles 503-1-1 and 503-1-2, added by Law 103-13 (2018)
Punish sexual harassment in public spaces and by electronic messages with one to six months in prison and a fine, with three to five years in aggravated cases, including when the victim is a minor.
Source: moroccoworldnews.com
Child marriage and age of marriage
Family Code (Law 70-03 of 2004), Articles 19 to 21
Sets the age of marriage at 18 for both sexes but lets a family judge authorise the marriage of a minor by reasoned decision.
Gaps: In 2020, 13,335 authorisations were granted out of 19,926 requests. The CEDAW Committee in 2022 recommended 18 as the minimum age without exception. The December 2024 reform proposals would allow an exception only at 17 under strict conditions, and these had not been enacted by September 2026.
Harmful practices
Penal Code, Article 503-2-1, added by Law 103-13 (2018)
Criminalises forcing a person to marry through violence or threats, with six months to one year in prison and a fine, doubled where the victim is a minor or vulnerable.
Gaps: Prosecution requires a complaint from the victim, and the law does not address child marriage as such.
Source: moroccoworldnews.com, girlsnotbrides.org
Family and personal status
Family Code (Moudawana), Law 70-03 promulgated by Dahir 1-04-22 of 3 February 2004
Governs marriage, divorce, custody and guardianship. Polygamy requires judicial authorisation, and Article 233 gives the father legal guardianship of children.
Gaps: A revision launched in 2023 led to 139 proposals approved on 23 December 2024, including shared guardianship and custody, custody kept by divorced mothers who remarry, a wife’s right to refuse polygamy in the marriage contract, and recognition of domestic work in marital property. The Ministry of Justice still listed the bill as ongoing in March 2026, and the 2004 Code remained in force as of September 2026.
Inheritance and succession
Family Code (Law 70-03 of 2004), Book on succession
Applies Islamic inheritance rules under which a son inherits double the share of a daughter.
Gaps: The December 2024 proposals would exclude the marital home from the estate and allow lifetime gifts to daughters, while the authorities rejected changes to the male-preference shares. Children born outside marriage and spouses of different religions face further exclusions.
Land and property
Law 62-17 on collective lands (Soulaliyate lands)
Recognises the right of women members of ethnic communities to benefit from collective land on the same basis as men.
Gaps: Women’s rights groups report that its implementing decree 2.19.973 of 2020 has limited its effect. Marital property sharing requires a separate contract that is optional.
Source: womensvoicesnow.org, euromedrights.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Penal Code, Articles 449 to 458
Criminalise abortion, with six months to two years in prison for the woman and one to five years for providers. Article 453 allows a doctor to end a pregnancy to preserve the woman’s health or life, with the husband’s or a chief medical officer’s authorisation.
Gaps: A 2016 bill (Bill 10-16) would have added grounds for rape, incest, fetal impairment and the woman’s mental illness; it was withdrawn from parliament in November 2021. Articles 490 and 491 criminalise sex outside marriage and adultery.
Girls’ education
Framework Law 51-17 of 9 August 2019 on the system of education, training and scientific research
Sets the national framework for reform of the education and training system.
Gaps: EuroMed Rights reported that more than 20 percent of girls aged 4 to 17 were out of school and that comprehensive sexuality education is absent from curricula.
Source: webapps.ilo.org, euromedrights.org
Political participation and quotas
Organic law on the House of Representatives (electoral framework for the 23 September 2026 elections)
Reserves the regional constituencies for women candidates, and requires at least four women among founding members of a new party and at least one fifth women among its founding membership.
Source: moroccoworldnews.com, data.ipu.org
Political participation and quotas
Law 19-20 (quota for women on boards of listed companies)
Introduces a mandatory share of women on the boards of listed companies, with targets reported to CEDAW of 30 percent by 2024 and 40 percent by 2027.
Source: ungeneva.org, ohchr.org
Labour and maternity
Labour Code (2003, in force 2004), Articles 9, 152, 159 and 346
Prohibits sex discrimination in hiring, work distribution, training, pay and promotion, requires equal pay for work of equal value, bars dismissal for pregnancy and grants 14 weeks of paid maternity leave.
Gaps: The World Bank gives Morocco 25 out of 100 on childcare law and zero on supportive pay measures.
Source: euromedrights.org, wbl.worldbank.org
Labour and maternity
Law 19-12 on the working and employment conditions of domestic workers
In force since 2 October 2018; requires written contracts, sets a minimum age of 18 after a five-year transition for 16 and 17 year olds, guarantees days off and paid leave, and caps the week at 48 hours.
Gaps: The domestic workers’ minimum wage was set 40 percent below that of other sectors and labour inspection in homes is unclear. Morocco has not ratified ILO Convention 189.
Source: hrw.org
Social protection
Framework Law 09-21 on social protection (passed by the House of Representatives on 15 March 2021)
Extends compulsory health insurance to about 22 million people and plans family allowances, wider pension coverage, job-loss compensation and a unified social register.
Source: mapnews.ma
Nationality
Nationality Code, as amended in 2007
Allows Moroccan mothers to transmit nationality to their children.
Gaps: Article 10 lets foreign wives of Moroccan men acquire nationality, with no equivalent for foreign husbands of Moroccan women. A bill tabled in December 2017 to correct this had not been adopted, and the CEDAW Committee urged its adoption in 2022.
Trafficking
Law 27-14 on combating trafficking in human beings (2016)
Criminalises trafficking with heavier penalties where victims are women or children, and provides free legal assistance to victims.
Gaps: The 2025 US Trafficking in Persons Report kept Morocco at Tier 2 and cited fewer convictions, weak victim identification, an irregular hotline and an under-resourced national commission.
Source: euromedrights.org, en.hespress.com
Access to justice and legal aid
Law 103-13 (2018), institutional provisions
Creates care units for women and children in courts and police services and coordination committees at several levels. The government told CEDAW in 2022 that legal aid is granted to all women victims of violence.
Gaps: HRW notes the units lack monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
Online violence and cybercrime
Penal Code, Articles 447-1 to 447-3, added by Law 103-13 (2018)
Punish recording or distributing a person’s private images or statements without consent with six months to three years in prison, with heavier penalties in aggravated cases such as offences against a spouse or a minor.
Gaps: Women’s groups reported an online violence prevalence of 14 percent and insufficient protection.
Source: moroccoworldnews.com, womensvoicesnow.org
Online violence and cybercrime
Penal Code, Articles 607-3 to 607-11
Criminalise illegal access to computer systems, data and system interference, misuse of devices, and computer forgery and fraud.
Source: rm.coe.int
Data protection
Law 09-08 of 2008 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data
Regulates processing of personal data and sets criminal penalties for violations.
Source: rm.coe.int
Women and girls with disabilities
Framework Law 97-13 (2016) on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities
Sets disability rights protections and includes guarantees of gender equality.
Gaps: EuroMed Rights notes Law 103-13 offers no specific protection for women with disabilities.
Source: euromedrights.org
Same-sex relations
Penal Code, Article 489
Criminalises same-sex sexual relations, with penalties of up to three years in prison.
Source: hrw.org, euromedrights.org
Civic space
| CIVICUS Monitor rating | Obstructed (score 42/100), unchanged since 2018 |
|---|---|
| NGO and association law | Dahir 1-58-376 of 1958 on the right of association, amended by Dahir 1-02-206 of 2002. Associations must declare to local authorities and lack legal personality without a receipt; Article 3 bans associations deemed to threaten Islam or the monarchical regime, among other grounds. |
| Press and media law | Press and Publishing Code of 2016 (Law 88-13) removed prison sentences for press offences, though journalists continue to be prosecuted under the Penal Code. |
| Cybercrime law | Penal Code Articles 607-3 to 607-11; Budapest Convention ratified in 2018. |
| Human rights defenders law | No specific law on human rights defenders was identified. |
| Public order and counter-terrorism | Law 76 of 2002 on public assemblies. In June 2025 the House of Representatives approved Code of Criminal Procedure amendments (Bill 03-23) limiting the ability of associations to file complaints on misuse of public funds. |
| Notes | CIVICUS reported detention of young people involved in the GenZ212 protests and new legislation affecting journalism in early 2026, and reprisals against demonstrators in May 2026. |
Recent developments
- July 2022. The CEDAW Committee adopted concluding observations on Morocco’s combined fifth and sixth periodic reports (CEDAW/C/MAR/CO/5-6), after Morocco acceded to the Optional Protocol in April 2022.
- November 2022. An African Union mission to Rabat urged ratification of the Maputo Protocol; the minister for solidarity and the family expressed openness to ratification.
- July 2024. Morocco submitted its follow-up information to the CEDAW Committee.
- 23 December 2024. The King approved 139 proposals to revise the Family Code, including a marriage age of 18 with a strictly limited exception at 17, shared guardianship, limits on polygamy and exclusion of the marital home from the estate.
- June 2025. The House of Representatives approved Code of Criminal Procedure amendments restricting associations from bringing complaints on financial crimes.
- March 2026. The Ministry of Justice confirmed the Family Code bill remained an ongoing legislative project; the text had not been published in the Official Bulletin by September 2026.
- 23 September 2026. Legislative elections held under new rules reserving regional constituencies for women candidates.
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Set 18 as the minimum age of marriage without exception and end judicial authorisations for minors, as the CEDAW Committee recommended in 2022.
- Adopt the Family Code reform and go further on equal guardianship, custody after remarriage, a ban on polygamy and equal inheritance.
- Explicitly criminalise marital rape and strengthen Law 103-13 with a definition of domestic violence, duties for police and prosecutors, protection orders independent of prosecution and funded shelters.
- Decriminalise abortion and repeal Penal Code Articles 490 and 491 on consensual sex outside marriage.
- Adopt the 2017 bill amending Article 10 of the Nationality Code so women can transmit nationality to foreign spouses, and ratify the Maputo Protocol.
- Make the Authority for Parity and the Fight against All Forms of Discrimination (Law 79-14) operational with adequate resources.
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: female genital mutilation, older persons, human rights defenders. Corrections and documents are welcome at programs@rflgd.org.
African Union treaties
Status of 29 African Union treaties as recorded in the official AU status lists published by the African Union Commission. The date of each list is shown: a ratification deposited after that date may not appear yet. 1 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
| AU treaty | Status | AU list dated |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol (rights of women) | Not signed | 19/09/2023 |
| African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Not signed | 15/06/2017 |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | Not signed | 14/02/2023 |
| Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Not signed | 14/02/2023 |
| African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance | Not signed | 08/07/2024 |
| AU Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on Social Protection and Social Security | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| African Youth Charter | Not signed | 19/09/2023 |
| OAU Refugee Convention | Not signed | 16/05/2019 |
| AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption | Ratified 24/02/2022 | 14/02/2023 |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Not signed | 02/02/2026 |
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (34)
- girlsnotbrides.org · morocco
- lesmre.com · moudawana reform 2026 8 key changes mre
- womensvoicesnow.org · JS19 UPR41 MAR E Main 1
- documents1.worldbank.org · P179153 156eebab c7a8 46ea aefa ab7ca80708a0
- euromedrights.org · factsheet Morocco EN 2
- au.int · african union concludes mission morocco ratification maputo …
- citizenshiprightsafrica.org · cedaw concluding observations morocco 2022
- ungeneva.org · examen du rapport du maroc devant le cedaw le pays est felic…
- rm.coe.int · 1680aef826
- cndh.ma · cndh r.e web parite egalite uk
- webapps.ilo.org · natlex4.detail
- resourcehub.bakermckenzie.com · 1legal provisions
- moroccoworldnews.com · unenglish translation of moroccos law 103 13 on elimination …
- hrw.org · morocco new violence against women law
- aljazeera.com · morocco repeals rape marriage law
- hrw.org · morocco and western sahara
- ohchr.org · experts committee elimination discrimination against women p…
- amnesty.org · MDE2975062024ENGLISH
- moroccoworldnews.com · approved reforms in moroccos family code whats changing
- ilo.org · natlex4.detail
- carnegieendowment.org · morocco family law moudawana reform governance
- webapps.ilo.org · natlex4.detail
- moroccoworldnews.com · morocco reserves regional seats for women raises party gende…
- data.ipu.org · data on women
- wbl.worldbank.org · WBL24 2 0 Morocco
- hrw.org · morocco new domestic workers law takes effect
- mapnews.ma · lower house passes framework law social protection
- citizenshiprightsafrica.org · morocco parliament to discuss naturalization of moroccan wom…
- en.hespress.com · 122302 morocco remains on tier 2 in us trafficking report ga…
- monitor.civicus.org · morocco
- icnl.org · morocco
- ohchr.org · cedawcmarco5 6 concluding observations combined fifth and si…
- digitallibrary.un.org · 4059657
- electionguide.org · 5083
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Information verified as of October 2026. This page is for information and advocacy and is not legal advice. Laws change: check the official text before relying on it. Part of the DƆNÙESÈ Data Center of the Women Leaders Network for Development (RFLD). See also the Maputo Protocol Hub and the Maputo Barometer.