Mudawana

Mudawana is the Moroccan family code, which has been revised in February 2004 by the Parliament and giving royal assent by King Mohammed VI who is Morocco's supreme religious leader.

The Mudawana, which was passed by a majority of the members of the Moroccan parliament, has granted women more power and has given a positive enhancement for women's rights in Morocco. The revision has angered some fundamentalists.

The code

Many aspects of family affairs were covered by the Mudawana:

• Polygamy, while still allowed, became more difficult under the new Mudawana. The consent of the first wife becomes obligatory.

• Couples now have to go to the court to obtain a divorce rather than just getting a letter of repudiation from a religious official. (See Islamic marital jurisprudence)

• Under the Mudawana, whoever parent keeps the children also keeps the house.

• The legal age of marriage has been raised from 15 to 18.

• Sexual harassment is considered an offense and punished by law.

• The ability for mothers to pass their citizenship onto their children does not appear in the new code, but king Mohammed VI has expressed his agreement in October 2006, a modification of the law will be submitted for vote in the Moroccan parliament.

See also

• Human rights in Morocco
• Algerian Family Code
• Child custody
• Divorce (conflict)
• Legal rights of women in history
• List of parenting issues affecting separated parents
• Marriage (conflict)
• Women in Muslim societies
• Women's rights

External links

• All about Mudawana (in French)
• BBC news

References and notes

Civil law (legal system)