Nearly half of singles and divorced Moroccans are against the criminalization of consensual sexual relationships outside of marriage, according to a recent survey.
Conducted by the Moroccan Center for Citizenship, the opinion poll explored Moroccans’ perspectives on amending national legislation related to individual freedoms, which uncovered that 53% of married citizens support the criminalization of out-of-wedlock sexual relations..
The poll’s data indicates that about 48% of Moroccan women oppose the criminalization of these relationships, against nearly 53% of males who support it.
The same source recorded that 54% support criminalizing public eating during the holy month of Ramadan, while 40% oppose it. The highest rate of support for criminalizing the act was recorded among citizens between the ages of 40 and 49 years, at 60%.
In terms of their perceptions on inheritance law, roughly 60% of Moroccans were against revisiting it within the framework of broad and flexible Islamic jurisprudence; this opposition is particularly prevalent among Moroccan men, who rate it at 62%, whereas 57% of Moroccan women were in favor of revisiting the requirements of inheritance.
The poll showed that 34% of Moroccans were against abortion and 58% agreed that it should be permitted in cases of rape, as long as medical permission was obtained. When it comes to supporting this procedure, Moroccan women ranked highest with 78% of them in favor, compared to 55% of men.
A startling 47% of Moroccans opposed improving women’s rights and gender equality through legislation, while 45% of them agreed to it, 71% of the supporters were women, and 51% of the opposing poll takers were men.
The poll demonstrates a large disparity in the politics of men and women regarding several issues, but the majority of them unanimously agreed to prevent the marriage of girls under the age of 18.
They also unanimously agreed to maintain the death penalty, as 65% expressed the necessity of maintaining the capital punishment in Moroccan criminal legislation, while about 28% of Moroccans called for its abolition.
On the other hand, 83% of Moroccan citizens believe that the protection of individuals from violations of their freedoms on social media platforms must be strengthened. More than 40% of Moroccans believe that their society is “conservative in theory and progressive in action.”
The Moroccan Center for Citizenship recommended developing national legislation to enhance comprehensiveness and justice in the Moroccan legal system, which will ensure that laws are applied with the utmost clarity for the benefit of all citizens.
In addition, the center recommends the protection required for citizens to exercise their individual freedoms and directing amendments to national legislation to eradicate the injustice and discrimination that certain groups suffer from.