The Women of Justice and Development Organization on Friday urged Morocco’s political parties to increase their female membership and encourage women to take part in elections.
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper received a copy of the statement issued by the organization, which is affiliated with the Justice and Development party, on International Women's Day.
It called for granting women more partisan responsibilities and consolidating gender equality in political parties.
The statement also backed the empowerment of rural women and activating the National Action Plan for Democracy and Human Rights which among others calls for gender equality and equal opportunities.
This should be followed by the activation of the Authority for Parity and the Fight against all Forms of Discrimination (APALD), it said.
The organization also hailed the government’s efforts in providing social protection for women and enacting several laws that grants them more rights.
But the coalition of the Spring of Dignity criticized the new laws adopted by the government.
In a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, the coalition said women’s organizations were not consulted prior to the approval of several draft-laws mainly the law on violence against women.
Although it described the law’s adoption as “positive,” the coalition said the move doesn’t meet the expectations of women’s rights movements.
It also demanded the government to review its national equality plan for 2017-2021.
