Thursday, October 2, 2014

UN Report Expresses Concern Over Protection of Vulnerable Children in Morocco

It is great to see that the UN is urging Morocco to support unwed mothers and to consider adoption as a viable option, along with kinship and foster/kefala/guardianship.  The UN notes that Moroccan children are vulnerable to be taken into domestic servitude, without stronger measures in place.  

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/09/140434/un-report-expresses-concern-over-protection-of-vulnerable-children-in-morocco/

By Colin Kilkelly

timthumb.php In particular, the committee is concerned that article 490 of the Moroccan Criminal Code punishes sexual relations outside marriage, resulting in dozens of babies being abandoned every day in the country.

The committee also expressed deep concern at the stigmatization and social rejection of single mothers in Morocco, of whom one third are adolescents. It also expressed concern over the serious consequences of this social rejection for their children, many of whom do not have identification documents or birth certificates, resulting in them having no legal existence.

The Committee’s report urged the Moroccan government to repeal article 490 and to provide unmarried mothers with support to enable them to take care of their children. It also called on the government to protect the rights of pregnant teenagers, adolescent mothers, and their children.

Read more.

No comments:

Post a Comment