37 MARTINDALE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE zations need to work together to solve this long-term problem. Girls may feel the need to marry young to relieve financial burdens from home, to avoid shame from society, or to resolve pressures from family, people they deeply trust. This one decision affects a girl’s entire life. Many times, young girls are left with abusive husbands and are more likely to die in childbirth because of their young age. Despite these horrific truths of underage marriage, the Moroccan government continues to keep contradictory laws in place, allowing families and family court judges to marry young girls. The Moroccan government needs to address these contradictions and take a strong stance against child marriage. Underage marriage will not be eradicated soon; it may take generations. However, continuous efforts to empower women, to incentivize regional programs, and to provide education can ultimately lead to a healthier outcome. References Economic, Social, and Environmental Council. (2019). Que faire, face à la persistance du mariage d’enfants au Maroc [What to do about the persistence of child marriage in Morocco]? Kingdom of Morocco. Feather, G. (2021). The conflation of single mothers and prostitutes in Morocco: Qiwama, legal exclusion, and paternal impunity. Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, 17, 294–303. Girls Not Brides. (2023). Learning resources: Morocco. Johnson, C. (2014, January 15). Morocco: Rape law amendment considered. Library of Congress. Kingdom of Morocco–Ministry of Family, Solidarity, Equality, and Social Development. (2019, June). National review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, after 25 years. Murphy A. C. (2020). Underage marriage: The global cultural paradigm [Senior thesis]. Fordham University. National Observatory for Human Development. (2022). Le mariage des mineures au Maroc [The marriage of minors in Morocco]. Kingdom of Morocco. Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations New York. (2020). Written statement of the Kingdom of Morocco: The High Level Political Forum. Rissouni, K., & Kareem al-Zanki, N. K. (2015). Application of Maqasid in the jurisprudence of minorities: The case of ‘Zawaj al-Maslahah’ in the West. Jurnal Fiqh, 12, 139–160. doi:10.22452/fiqh.vol12no1.7 Roudi-Fahimi, F., & Ibrahim, S. (2013). Ending child marriage in the Arab region. Population Reference Bureau. Sabbe, A., Oulami, H., Zekraoui, W., Hikmat, H., Temmerman, M., & Leye, E. (2013). Determinants of child and forced marriage in Morocco: Stakeholder perspectives on health, policies and human rights. BMC International Health and Human Rights, 13:43. Soukayna, A. (2018). Gender construction and divorced women in Morocco: Fez City as a case study. Arts and Social Sciences Journal, 9(5). doi:10.4172/21516200.1000409 UN Women. (2019). Multi-country analytical study of legislation, policies, interventions and cultural practices on child marriage in Africa. United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. UNICEF. (2018). Child marriage in the Middle East and North Africa: A multi-country study. UNICEF. (2021, June). Child marriage in the context of COVID-19: Analysis of trends, programming and alternative approaches in the MENA region. UNICEF. (2022, February). Facts and figures: Child marriage in the Middle East and North Africa. United Nations. (2022, June 22). Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women praise Morocco for legislation prohibiting discrimination, ask about high maternal mortality and female illiteracy rates in rural areas. LAURYN C. HOLGADO graduated with highest honors from Lehigh University in May 2024 with a dual degree in chemical engineering and chemistry. While at Lehigh, Lauryn was an Eckardt Scholar, coordinator of the Eco-Rep Leadership Program, resident assistant, teaching assistant, Lehigh After Dark Ambassador, Rossin Junior Fellow, and member of Tau Beta Pi and Phi Beta Kappa. She was a UN Youth Representative for the Nadam Foundation and advocated for environmental protection and women’s rights. Additionally, Lauryn worked as an undergraduate researcher for three years. She hopes to develop sustainable technologies in her career.
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