32 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 42 | 2024 Child marriage in Morocco Lauryn C. Holgado In Morocco, 16% of women are married underaged, well above the region’s average. In many cases, these unions result in both physical and mental trauma for the bride. Due to legal loopholes and cultural practices, many girls still fall victim to this generational custom. Morocco needs to remove contradictory laws and reject underage marriage on an international stage. Suggested efforts in concert with the government, international organizations, and regional initiatives are necessary to spark change. Introduction In Morocco, many parents send underage daughters to be married to men twice their age. Girls are often pressured into these relations, stripped of their rights, and forced to think it is for their best interest. Despite the devastating reality of underage marriage, Morocco continues to shirk its responsibility to address this problem while the public cries out for help. Morocco is not unique in this regard, for there are 650 million child brides around the globe. Underage marriage is an issue that should be at the top of government and international agendas. Decades ago, child marriage was the norm in many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Although the prevalence rates are in a slow decline, there are still 40 million total child brides in the MENA region, many of whom were forced into a union (UNICEF, 2022). Child marriage has detrimental physical and mental health effects on the young girl involved along with her children. No young girl should be forced to marry because of societal shame, a dowry, or pressures from her family. A young girl’s life should not be chosen for her. An underage marriage takes away opportunity, independence, and autonomy from young women. In 2021, 13.7% of the women in Morocco between the ages of 20 and 24 years old were married before the age of 18 (UNICEF, 2018). On average, each year from 2006 to 2018, parents submitted 32,000 requests for marriage of a minor to the family courts, and 85% were approved (UNICEF, 2021). Many marriages of underage girls are undocumented, so these statistics likely could be much higher. In Morocco, child marriage is a prevalent issue that is exacerbated by low education levels, poverty, family honor, and other social pressures (Girls Not Brides, 2023). Despite the magnitude of this issue, the Moroccan government has done little in recent years to tackle this problem. Moroccan legislation leaves loopholes for young girls to be married before the age of 18. Morocco needs to address this problem plaguing its communities, learn from other countries, and implement a nationwide plan to end this generational issue. The issue of child marriage Underage or child marriage is defined as the union of two people, where one or both are under the age of 18. While both young boys and girls are married underaged, girls are more often affected by this practice. Disproportionately, child marriage affects young girls; upward of 99% of underage marriage cases in Morocco involve girls and less than 1% involve boys (Economic, Social, and Environmental Council [ESEC], 2019). This is due to the social standards upheld for girls and women in many households. Families and communities can practice underage marriage in many ways. Compared to other countries in Africa, Morocco has the greatest number of types of child marriage practiced within its borders. Child marriage can manifest itself in marriages that are temporary, are consanguineous, involve bride kidnapping, are polygamous, are part of cultural ceremony, are forced, or are by choice (UN Women, 2019). • Temporary marriage in Morocco takes the form of zawāj al-mut’ah (marriage of convenience), which is backed by the Quran. A marriage of convenience consists of a verbal agreement to accomplish goals unrelated to objectives associated with a typical marriage. For instance, the parties of the marriage receive money because doi:10.18275/pbe-v042-006
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