Study Reveals Inertia of Maghreb Countries in Addressing Femicide
A study on the "legal, social, and media treatment of femicide in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria," conducted by the Maghreb feminist dynamic, has exposed the inertia of these three Maghreb countries in addressing femicide and the lack of recognition of this dangerous social phenomenon.
Expert Insights
According to Monia Gari, an expert at the "Voix des femmes" association, this study has demonstrated that the legal, media, and social handling of femicide in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria does not match the magnitude of this growing phenomenon and lacks rigor, firmness, and seriousness. She stated that the results of this study, launched in June 2025, have shown that the fight against femicide is not considered a national priority in the concerned countries, requiring urgent measures, coherent policies, integrated strategies, effective national plans, and appropriate budgets.
Call to Action
The Maghreb feminist dynamic, composed of 12 feminist associations from Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria, has called on the concerned governments to recognize femicide against women and girls as a crime committed against women solely because they are women, to explicitly cite it, and to mention it in the penal code as a distinct crime from other homicide crimes, according to Gari. She also called for the development of prevention programs, effective protection devices, and training for all stakeholders in various sectors to ensure the care of victims.
Importance of Denouncing Femicide
Jabeur Wajeh, the program manager for North Africa at the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, emphasized the importance of denouncing femicide at all levels, exposing it to the public, and sanctioning its perpetrators. He called on civil society to launch awareness, education, and mobilization campaigns to combat violence against women and girls. Wajeh also stated that the media must actively contribute to the fight against the culture of impunity and normalization of violence by producing content that denounces masculine violence and recognizes gender equality.
Statistics on Femicide
Wajeh indicated that in the absence of official statistics, feminist associations have recorded 27 cases of femicide in Tunisia until October 2025. In Algeria, feminist associations have registered over 48 cases of femicide in 2024, while in Morocco, 65 cases of voluntary homicide were recorded, and 18 cases of femicide following blows and injuries were reported, according to the prosecution's data for 2023.
