Morocco Launches National Study on Violence Against Children

Agadir – Morocco’s Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family, launched today a national project aimed at collecting updated data regarding violence against children in Morocco.

The initiative is called “National Study on Violence Against Children,” and is in the fruit of a partnership with the National Observatory for Human Development, the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the National Observatory for Children’s Rights, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

According to the ministry, the project seeks to measure the prevalence of different forms of violence and assess their impact on children’s physical and mental health.

It will also examine the determinants of violence based on gender and age, identify emerging forms of abuse, and analyze the contexts in which violence occurs, including within the family, school, street, and online environments.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Solidarity, Social Integration and Family Minister Naima Ibn Yahya said that this study reflects the country’s efforts to conduct public policies and social programs based on accurate data and scientific research.

Such studies will provide an understanding of the root causes of violence, tracking new forms, and evaluating existing policies to strengthen child protection efforts, she emphasized 

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With UNICEF’s support, the minister added, Morocco is currently assessing its integrated child protection policy and outlining priorities through 2035.

“This study will enable us to identify a set of entry points to better guide our policies and programs toward improving children’s living conditions,” Ibn Yahya explained. 

President of the National Observatory for Human Development Othman Kair described the study as a strategic tool to improve knowledge of violence against children through reliable data, which “will undoubtedly support public decision-making and guide public policies toward greater effectiveness and targeting.”

He added that “caring for children is not merely a moral or social obligation, but a fundamental pillar in building the social state we aspire to,” noting that children, as the potential future, require protection to ensure a healthy and safe environment. 

Meanwhile, Ayache Khalaf, Secretary General of the High Commission for Planning, highlighted the importance of accurate and up-to-date data in shaping effective national policies. The institution will play a key role in data collection, he pledged.

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