Moroccans and the internet have reacted in horror after a state television programme demonstrated how makeup can be utilised to cover up evidence of domestic violence.
The segment in the daily programme Sabahiyat, on Channel 2M, showcased a smiling makeup artist demonstrating how to mask marks of domestic abuse on a woman who’s made up to appear as if she is covered in black and blue bruises.
“We hope these beauty tips will help you carry on with your daily life”, the host said at the end of the segment, broadcast on 23 November – two days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. And with that, the response blew up in outrage and a petition has been signed by hundreds of women demanding an apology and sanctions against the station.
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The channel has since removed the clip from its website, but it has been circulated on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CurioGorilla/status/802496936393711616
2M has since posted a clarification on their Facebook page regarding the programme.
Meanwhile, makeup artist Lilia Mouline told news site Yabiladi that it was never her intention to normalise domestic violence.
“We are here to try to provide solutions to these women who, for a period of two to three weeks, are putting their social life aside for the duration of their wounds,” she said. “We are here to advise and to offer certain solutions in our own way, which may be artificial, but vital, to the women concerned.”
According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women worldwide will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Morocco has also been criticised by the Human Rights Watch “tepid response to domestic violence.” In February, the HRW sent a letter to the Moroccan government calling for laws that protects women against domestic violence.
