A Moroccan TV channel has broadcast a section of its show, 'Sabahiyat', advising women on how to conceal bruises caused by domestic violence with make up.
Aired on Moroccan State TV Channel 2M, clips circulating social media show a smiling host brushing concealer onto a woman made to appear with a bruised face. The host offers tips on how best to conceal such marks like: 'make sure to use loose powder to fix the make up, so if you have to work throughout the day, the bruises don't show.' The kind of 'handy' tips no one ever wants to receive, like, ever.
The make up artist concludes the section with: 'We hope these beauty tips will help you carry on with your daily life.' bangs head on table
Understandably, the channel has been widely criticised for the tutorial as it appears to normalise domestic violence and deters women from speaking out against it, as well as coinciding with the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women.
A petition has been launched by a group angered by the channel, demanding an apology and stating that the normalisation of gender-based violence must be stopped.
'As Moroccan women and as feminist activists in Morocco, and in the name of all Moroccan people, we denounce the message of normalisation with violence against women,' the petition read. 'We demand severe sanctions against this show, "Sabahiyat", and the channel 2M.'
'The violence should not be covered by makeup and the aggressors have to be condemned.' it also added.
The channel has since offered an apology and removed the clip from its website, saying the section was 'completely inappropriate and has an editorial error of judgement in view of the sensitivity and the gravity of the subject of violence against women'
However, the petition organisers have not accepted the apology and are demanding further sanctions against the channel. The video is also still circulating social media with viewers expressing their disgust.
At the start of 2016, Human Rights Watch wrote to the Moroccan Government expressing concern at the way women experiencing domestic violence in the country are treated, saying authorities often 'fail to prevent domestic abuse, punish the abusers, or assist survivors.'
A survey carried out in 2009 by the Moroccan High Commission for Planning on women aged 18-65 found that nearly two-thirds – 62.8% – had experienced 'physical, psychological, sexual, or economic violence' - a statistic that has hopefully improved since but still demonstrates an unacceptable culture of domestic abuse in the country, which must change.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.