Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Keaveney for bringing this horrendous case to the attention of the Dáil. I am sure I speak for everyone in this House in expressing my horror at the details of the case of Amina Filali. As the Deputy correctly pointed out, she was raped and then forced to marry her assailant so as to prevent him from being prosecuted for his appalling and heinous crime. She then suffered severe beating at the hands of the man who raped and subsequently married her. We can have no understanding of the depth of despair that Amina suffered which drove her to take her own life. She was stripped of her rights and punished for the wrongs of her abuser. She was abandoned and neglected by the legal system that should protect vulnerable members of society. She was left without the promise of a future. She was just 16.

Women have played an important role in the momentous changes we have seen across the Arab world in the past 12 months. They have stood shoulder to shoulder with their brothers and husbands and demanded freedom and equality. Their demands extend to gender equality and protection under the law. Strong encouragement must be provided by the European Union and other international actors to ensure real benefits flow for women from the Arab spring and that their overall position is advanced in Morocco and other countries undergoing reform and change.

Morocco has in recent years taken some steps to empower women in Moroccan society. The adoption of the family code in 2004 was a major milestone in improving the protection of women's right in Morocco, including by raising the age of marriage to 18 and prohibiting polygamy. The new Moroccan constitution, which was adopted by referendum last year, has for the first time recognised gender equality. Those are steps in the right direction but it remains clear that Morocco must take further steps to protect women that have been the victims of rape or domestic violence, including the repeal of Article 475 that permits such an appalling miscarriage of justice as was suffered by Amina. Amina's death was a heart-breaking tragedy but it has resonated considerably within Moroccan society and galvanised many Moroccans to seek changes to this draconian law. I fully support the calls of human rights defenders in Morocco and elsewhere seeking an immediate repeal of Article 475 and I also strongly urge the Moroccan authorities to launch a full investigation into the death of Amina and the important issues it raises.

Morocco will undergo the second review of its human rights obligations and commitments as part of the universal periodic review, UPR, process at the next session commencing in May this year. Ireland and our EU partners will engage with Morocco in the course of its UPR on the human rights situation in Morocco, including recommendations on necessary reforms to its penal code to ensure greater protection of women and reforms required to provide greater equality and empowerment of women in Moroccan society.

This country is committed to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and is involved in a variety of initiatives at international level to this end, such as playing an active role in the negotiation and adoption of resolutions at the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council aimed at promoting the rights of women and girls. This country was to the fore in promoting the establishment of UN Women, the new UN agency working for gender equality and women's empowerment, and has provided more than €1.8 million since its establishment last year for its work in developing countries.

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