Progress Amid Resistance

322 WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICAregarding violence against women are aired on television, and guests ontalk shows are invited to discuss the topic.Gender-based violence outside the home is still a reality. However, societaltaboos prevent women from coming forward to report sexual violence,and the police and medical personnel are not trained to deal with suchissues. Sexual harassment on the streets has decreased but is still a problem.Women’s rights groups and other civil society actors work freely andeffectively to improve the status of women’s personal autonomy and security.Their activities include national and international networking, tendingdirectly to the victims of violence, and campaigns aimed at sensitizingthe general public to the issues surrounding gender-based violence andimplementation of the family law. The impact of these efforts has beentremendous, but they must be increased in rural and semi-urban areas.RecommendationsF The implementation of the new family law requires training at all levels,including judges, psychiatrists, and policymakers, among others.This could be accomplished by creating pilot centers where expertswould advise the authorities who promulgate and implement the lawson how best to enforce specific provisions.F In addition to the laws that currently exist, additional punitive lawsthat specifically address domestic violence must be enacted.F The government should establish a partnership with NGOs to provideaid for female victims of trafficking and violence. Legal counseling,social assistance, and relocation centers should be available in all citiesand cater to rural areas as well.F Proper implementation of the new family law requires the use of Berberand Moroccan Arabic (the mother tongues that the majority of womenspeak) in campaigns intended to explain the new provisions.F The government should create centers where violent men can learn tocontrol their behavior.ECONOMIC RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITYSince the mid-1970s, Moroccan women have increasingly worked outsidetheir homes, thereby significantly raising the quality of life in Morocco andcontributing to the economic transformation of the country. As of 2007,nearly 27 percent of women participated in the workforce, 24 compared