The polygamy was established to provide social protection to victims of cados during expansionary wars. and it was widely spread in the rural world at the time. It is regulated by means of strict laws that forbade men from having more than four wives ´ the polygamy ´ and required the spouse to behave in a way that was equal to theirs, whether on a personal or financial level. The legislation of the states that have kept this institution in place views the consent of the already-married spouses to future marriages as essential.
Morocco adopted a new family law (moudawana) in October 2003 that represents a historic reform by equating the rights of men and women. After Tunez, this is the second Arab country to make this step. The legal status of today’s women is the same as that of varones, and they are no longer need to obtain their parents’ or tutors’ permission in order to get married. The wife is no longer required to obey the husband and is free to file for divorce if she so chooses. Yet, this law is barely known in rural areas of the country where analphabetism affects up to 80% of the population.
