65 MARTINDALE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE issues of VAW and DV/IPV. Consequently, international bodies like the UN have stepped in to delineate strategies to combat and prevent GBV. Strategies include educating the next generation of leaders about the pervasive nature of this problem and age-appropriate training on safe sexuality, consent, bodily autonomy, and accountability (UN Women, 2023). Additionally, the implementation of holistic services for survivors of violence will help where prevention efforts fall short. These recommended strategies, if implemented appropriately, not only will better serve Moroccan women but also may inspire more change in the country’s cultural and religious norms. In 1979, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), often referred to as the international bill of rights for women (UN Women, 2003). Over the ensuing decades, the CEDAW has met frequently and adopted several General Recommendations on ways to improve the situation of women worldwide. In 1992, General Recommendation No. 19 came into effect, clearly outlining GBV as “a form of discrimination that seriously inhibits women's ability to enjoy rights and freedoms on a basis of equality with men” (United Nations, CEDAW, 1992). This recommendation was a huge step toward progress. It defined GBV as a threat to women’s rights and gender equity as a whole. Twenty-five years later, General Recommendation No. 35 was introduced in 2017 as an update to the original Recommendation No. 19. No. 35 provides a more comprehensive understanding of VAW and explicitly calls for a shift away from social norms and practices that support GBV, emphasizing “the need for approaches that promote and respect women’s autonomy and decision-making in all spheres of life.” Moreover, No. 35 expands the original definition of violence to include violations of sexual and reproductive health and calls for the removal of laws that “condone or facilitate violence” (United Nations, Office of the High Commissioner..., 2017). The primary aim of General Recommendations like No. 19 and No. 35 is to facilitate the implementation of international obligations, particularly the imperative to explicitly define all forms of violence within legal frameworks. This in turn serves to establish the necessary precedents for prosecuting perpetrators of VAW—and ultimately eliminate it. Roots of gender-based violence in Morocco Both Bouhout (2020) and Kisa et al. (2021), in discussing women’s rights and DV in Morocco, note that patriarchal values are deeply ingrained in Moroccan society and have been for centuries. These values place a heavy burden on women as they are expected to conform to a society that privileges men. In masculine societies like Morocco, women are automatically subordinated, confined to roles of cooperation due to cultural norms and religious constraints (Kisa et al., 2021). This culture justifies the forced submission of women through violence, at the same time hindering their ability or willingness to report abuse or violence. An outspoken advocate of women’s rights, specifically Arab and Muslim women’s rights, award-winning documentary filmmaker Soukaina Alaoui El Hassani has seen firsthand the impact that discriminatory legislation and harmful ideologies have on women and girls in Morocco. This can be seen in her film, Children of Sin, which depicts extreme challenges faced by unwed mothers in Morocco. In a conversation, the Moroccan activist stated that the cycle of abuse in the lives of many Moroccan women can lead to generational trauma, solidifying VAW as a norm. Additionally, Alaoui El Hassani noted that typically, if a young woman’s mother has survived violence, she may have put up with it in order to provide the best life for her children; their lives could change drastically without the support and security of a financially stable household with both parents (S. Alaoui El Hassani, personal communication, October 6, 2023). The underreporting of DV or IPV in Morocco can be attributed to cultural, social, religious, or familial lenses that discourage Moroccan women from reporting such cases to the police. These ingrained beliefs create barriers to seeking legal intervention and contribute to the generational perpetuation of silence surrounding DV (Bouhout, 2020). Mothers passing on trauma to their daughters reinforces the belief that such experiences are simply a part of life. Moreover, the underreporting of DV and IPV hinders the accurate representation of their prevalence, diminishing their perceived urgency as critical human rights violations. By concealing the true extent of the issue, the severity of the problem may be downplayed, impeding the mobilization of resources, awareness campaigns, and policy initiatives needed to combat this violation of human rights. The same conservative patriarchal values that allow a cycle of domestic abuse to continue are also responsible for the social and political marginalization of organizations working to prevent VAW. Over the past two decades, women’s rights NGOs in Morocco have been actively amplifying awareness about
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