A coalition of eight countries, including Morocco, launched on Tuesday an international initiative aimed at ending violence against women and girls worldwide.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the Commonwealth and Development, Yvette Cooper, as well as the ministers of six other countries (Spain, Brazil, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jamaica and South Africa) launched this International Coalition during a hybrid-format meeting.
This cross-regional initiative aims to bring together countries committed to reducing violence against women and girls at the national level by sharing expertise, strengthening political engagement, and addressing new technology-driven challenges, with the ambition of halving violence against women and girls within a decade.
On the occasion of the launch meeting, Mr. Bourita stated that by joining this initiative, the Kingdom of Morocco stands as a strongly committed actor in ending violence against women and girls, and reaffirmed “the need for international and multilateral initiatives such as the Coalition to enable every woman and girl to live in dignity, safety, and equality.”
The Minister also highlighted institutional and legislative reforms, as well as the establishment of a national operational framework aimed at criminalizing various forms of violence against women, citing Law No. 103.13 on violence against women, which came into force in September 2018, as well as the National Policy to Combat Violence against Women and Girls, adopted in 2021, which aims to eradicate this scourge by 2030.
At the end of the ministerial meeting, Mr. Bourita signed a joint document outlining the High-Level Principles guiding the Coalition’s work, emphasizing in particular the importance of prevention, combating inequalities and the root causes of violence, holding perpetrators accountable, and supporting victims.
It should be noted that an International Summit on violence against women and girls is scheduled to take place in 2027.
