VZCZCXRO6060
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHRB #1458 2121657
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311657Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4374
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3041
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4324
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 3258

UNCLAS RABAT 001458 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL MO
 
SUBJECT: THE KINGDOM FIGHTS SEXUAL HARASSMENT 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Sexual harassment could not be openly discussed in Morocco 
until a group of women textile workers decided to go on strike at 
the Manufacture du Morocco, a textile plant in the suburbs of Rabat, 
because of the extreme sexual harassment company officials committed 
against their union leader Khadia Khaireddine on November 10, 1995. 
Khaireddine was fired and then attacked in front of the plant gates 
by the company supervisor.  Workers at the plant, who had been 
constantly insulted and sexually harassed, walked out and began a 
sit-in in front of the plant gates which lasted more than 10 days. 
They demanded that Khaireddine and seventeen of their colleagues be 
reinstated. This was the first strike against sexual harassment in 
Morocco and in the Arab world.  The support given to these women by 
civil society invigorated other women's groups to advocate for the 
protection of female workers.  As a result, the 2004 Labor Code 
condemns sexual harassment in the workplace and makes it a criminal 
offense in Morocco. 
¶2. (U) Sexual harassment in the workplace is a criminal offense 
under article 503-1 of the revised 2003 Penal Code and article 40 of 
the 2004 Labor Code which stipulates that "Any person who abuses the 
authority conferred upon him by his position, to harass another 
using orders, threats, coercion or any other means in order to 
obtain sexual favors is guilty of sexual harassment and is 
punishable by one to two years imprisonment and a fine." 
¶3.  (U) Jargon free and easy to read books and guides have been 
written by groups such as the Moroccan Association of Democratic 
Women (ADFM) and the Centre Fama.  These are used in schools, 
universities, and in workplaces.  On March 3, ADFM presented a guide 
against sexual harassment for young girls on the occasion of the 
International Day for Women. This guide was funded by the United 
Nations Population Fund to sensitize young girls on sexual 
harassment problems and ways to fight against them.  This guide was 
written by young ADFM members after an extensive 2002 study on how 
women are viewed in the streets. 
¶4.  (U) In June, two hotel workers, Najla and Souad, were sexually 
harassed at the Hotel Sofitel Diwan in Rabat.  A network of Moroccan 
nongovernmental organizations (NGO) was created following these 
incidents.  On July 21, the network condemned sexual harassment in 
the workplace. The "Network to Fight Sexual Harassment in Morocco" 
(RCHS) includes human rights and women's rights organizations, and 
unions, e.g., the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), 
Moroccan Association of Democratic Women (ADFM), Democratic League 
for Women's Right (LDDF), Moroccan Center for Human Rights (CMDH), 
Moroccan Forum for Truth and Justice (FMVJ), Moroccan Workers Union 
(UMT), and Moroccan Workers Confederation (CDT) Abdellah Lefnatsa, 
the leader of the Moroccan Workers Union (UMT) created a Blogspot 
blog at http://rchsrabat.blogspot.com to further promote their cause 
and to help collect signatures for their anti-sexual harassment 
petition.