This partnership was made possible by the gracious support of Dr. Najat Zarrouk, the distinguished Governor, Director of Training for Local Government, Ministry of the Interior with whom de Silva-de Alwis has worked as part of the Women’s Democracy Network. Zarrouk is at the forefront of women’s leadership in Morocco and has championed women’s political participation through training programs and mentoring initiatives around Morocco and the world.
Rabat served as an ideal location for the Roundtable. The Moroccan women’s movement sparked a historic millionsignature campaign that mobilized reform of the family code for Mudwana in 2004. Morocco’s revised family law has been held up as a model by feminists throughout the Muslim world and catalyzed reform in countries across the region. Family law is often the litmus test of women’s equality and the landmark initiative galvanized movements around the world including the women’s movement in Iran. In particular, the million signature campaign is at the heart of Iranian feminists’ efforts to reform their country’s family law.
