Morocco's minister calls for higher salaries for women and their maintenance – Middle East Monitor

Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi caused controversy with his proposal that working and well-earning women should pay maintenance to their ex-husbands.

During an interview with broadcaster 2M on Monday, Ouahbi answered questions about the family code and his stance on alimony payments after divorce.

“For a woman to be granted all her rights, we need to know what belongs to the man and what does not belong to the woman, and what belongs to the woman and what does not belong to her, because the financial responsibility is shared,” he said.

The minister explained: “If the woman’s income exceeds that of the man, she must pay maintenance because she contributes to the financial process.”

He stated that this issue is currently being discussed and that there needs to be “some kind of balance and justice” in maintenance issues.

The minister's statements sparked a debate. Many stressed that according to Islamic law, the husband must pay maintenance after a divorce and that a married Muslim woman is not obliged to spend money from her income or assets on her husband or her household.

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