Gender-Based Violence and Access to Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare for Migrant Women in Morocco: A Qualitative Study
Violence and sexual health access for migrant women.
Abstract
Context Migrant women face multiple vulnerabilities during their journey and in host countries, particularly regarding access to sexual and reproductive health services. In Morocco, migrant women are exposed to gender-based violence due to administrative irregularities, economic precariousness, and social exclusion. This violence negatively impacts their health and limits their access to essential care.
Methodes A qualitative study was conducted in July 2024 in Rabat and Casablanca, two regions with a high concentration of migrants. Focus group discussions were carried out with 48 participants, including women and men from sub-Saharan African countries. Participants were selected based on their experience with health services and their willingness to share their experiences. The data were manually transcribed and analysed thematically.
Results The study revealed that migrant women experience physical, sexual, and psychological violence both in private and public spaces. Barriers to accessing care include a lack of information, language difficulties, social stigma, discrimination, and administrative obstacles. Despite these challenges, the presence of non-governmental organisations, awareness campaigns, and supportive healthcare professionals were identified as facilitating factors for accessing health services.
Conclusion Gender-based violence remains a significant barrier to accessing health services for migrant women in Morocco. Improving access requires better health information, multilingual support, and anti-discrimination measures to ensure equitable care for all women, regardless of their migration status.
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org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1007126/full
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violences-lexploitation-et-aux-mauvais-traitements/les.
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VFFF.pdf.
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https://www.msf.ie/sites/ireland/files/sexual-violence-and-migration_-the-hidden-reality-of-subsaharan- women-trapped-in-morocco-en-route-to-europe.pdf.
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violence [Internet]. Institut du Genre en Géopolitique. 2023 [cité 10 juill 2025]. Disponible sur: https://igg-geo.org/2023/10/13/au-maroc-les-femmes-migrantes-subsahariennes-sorganisententre-
elles-pour-eviter-les-violences/.
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uploads/2022/02/Understanding_the_mixed_migration_landscape_in_Morocco.pdf.
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Their Implications at the Regional Level. WORKING PAPERS. 2018;(26).
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2018 [cité 22 janv 2025]. Disponible sur: https://www.france-terre-asile.org/component/fabrik/
details/1/225-les-violences-%C3%A0-l-%C3%A9gard-des-femmes-demandeuses-d-asile-etr%
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Social, de l’Egalité et de la Famille. 2018 [cité 17 févr 2025]. Disponible sur: https://social.gov.
ma/loi-n-103-13-relative-a-la-lutte-contre-la-violence-a-legard-des-femmes/.
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févr 2025]. Socio-economic situation of refugees in Morocco: Analysis of the results of the 2022
Survey. Disponible sur: https://www.hcp.ma/Situation-socioeconomique-des-refugies-au-Maroc-
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23. Ashley-Norman T, Fellmeth G, Brummaier T, Nosten S, Oo MM, Phichitpadungtham Y, et al.
Persistent depression in pregnant refugee and migrant women living along the Thai-Myanmar
Border: a secondary qualitative analysis. Wellcome Open Res. 2022;7:231.
24. Goldenberg SM, Grassby MHS, Ge A, Braschel M, Zhou C, Shannon K. Gaps in health
coverage for racialized im/migrant sex workers in metro Vancouver: Findings of a communitybased
cohort study (2014–2021). Journal of Migration and Health [Internet]. 1 janv 2024 [cité
12 févr 2025];10:100268. Disponible sur: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
S2666623524000576
25. Acharai L, Khalis M, Bouaddi O, Krisht G, Elomrani S, Yahyane A, et al. Sexual and reproductive
health and gender-based violence among female migrants in Morocco: a cross sectional survey.
BMC Women’s Health [Internet]. 11 avr 2023 [cité 27 mai 2024];23(1):174. Disponible sur:
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02307-1
26. Samnani F, Deering K, King D, Magagula P, Braschel M, Shannon K, et al. Stigma trajectories,
disclosure, access to care, and peer-based supports among African, Caribbean, and Black im/
migrant women living with HIV in Canada: findings from a cohort of women living with HIV in
Metro Vancouver, Canada. BMC Public Health. 13 nov 2024;24(1):3148. 27. Cabieses B, Velázquez B, Blukacz A, Farante S, Bojórquez I, Mezones-Holguín E. Intersections
between gender approaches, migration and health in Latin America and the Caribbean: a discussion
based on a scoping review. Lancet Reg Health Am. déc 2024;40:100538.
28. Allen-Leap M, Hooker L, Wild K, Wilson IM, Pokharel B, Taft A. Seeking Help From Primary
Health-Care Providers in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review of the Experiences of Migrant
and Refugee Survivors of Domestic Violence. Trauma Violence Abuse. déc 2023;24(5):3715‑31.
29. Zaman M, McCann V, Friesen S, Noriega M, Marisol M, Bartels SA, et al. Experiences of pregnant
Venezuelan migrants/refugees in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative analysis. BMC Pregnancy
Childbirth. 23 févr 2024;24(1):157.
30. Chavez LJE, Lamy ZC, Veloso L da C, da Silva LFN, Goulart AMR, Cintra N, et al. Barriers and
facilitators for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of displaced Venezuelan adolescent girls
in Brazil. Journal of Migration and Health [Internet]. 1 janv 2024 [cité 12 févr 2025];10:100252.
Disponible sur: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623524000412
31. Musuka G, Chingombe I, Moyo E, Chikava T, Moyo B, Mapingure M, et al. Sexual and reproductive
health and rights, HIV and migration in southern Africa: A rapid review. South African Medical Journal [Internet]. août 2024 [cité 12 févr 2025];114(8):37‑42. Disponible sur: https://journals.
co.za/doi/full/10.7196/SAMJ.2024.v114i8.2011
32. Amaghdour C, Munezero C, Belouali R, Hassouni K. Improving access and utilization of sexual
and reproductive health services by migrant women in Morocco: A qualitative study. Tunisie
Medicale. 2025;103(4):452‑62.
33. Hinman K, Sun N, Amon JJ. Ensuring access to justice: the need for community paralegals to end
AIDS by 2030. J Int AIDS Soc. août 2023;26(8):e26146.
34. Rubini E, Trentin M, Valente M, Cenati S, Canavese A, Castagna P, et al. Migrant survivors of
conflict-related sexual violence accessing a specialist health service in Turin, Italy: a qualitative
analysis of clinical forensic interview transcripts. Front Sociol [Internet]. 9 sept 2024 [cité 15
févr 2025];9. Disponible sur: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/
fsoc.2024.1454700/full
35. Casas LC, Álvarez JJ, Vivaldi LV, Montero AR, Bozo N, Babul J. Primary health care, access to
legal abortion and the notion of ideal victim among medical practitioners: The case of Chile. Front
Psychol [Internet]. 17 nov 2022 [cité 15 févr 2025];13. Disponible sur: https://www.frontiersin.
org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1007126/full
36. Koubri H, Hami H, Coulibaly SK, Soulaymani A, Kouartey NE, Essolbi A. The role of NGOs and
associations in health care for migrants in North West Morocco. E3S Web Conf [Internet]. 2021
[cité 20 janv 2025];319:02009. Disponible sur: https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/
abs/2021/95/e3sconf_vigisan_02009/e3sconf_vigisan_02009.html
37. Oram S, Khalifeh H, Howard LM. Violence against women and mental health Lancet Psychiatry.
févr 2017;4(2):159‑70.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 11 No 4 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/jbe.v11i4.22523 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Gender-Based Violence sexual and reproductive health services access to health care health services accessibility migrant women Morocco. | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Amaghdour C. Gender-Based Violence and Access to Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare for Migrant Women in Morocco: A Qualitative Study. J Biostat Epidemiol. 2026;11(4):488-503.
