Oum El Banine is a Moroccan organization supporting women in distress. It was created on May 7, 2001 and it is located in Agadir, Morocco. The main aim of Oum El Banine is to support one of the most excluded groups in the Moroccan society: unmarried mothers and their children. According to Moroccan law, a woman cannot legally become a mother before marriage. If an unmarried woman becomes pregnant,
she is the one who has to face the consequences. The man does not have to take any responsibility - at birth only the name of the mother will be registered. There are also traditions of family honour, making the situation for these women even more vulnerable. Unmarried, pregnant women are condemned by society and are often forced to leave their families. They have nowhere to go – many of them end up in the street – but some are lucky and find their way to Oum El Banine. The association has a women’s shelter, where the women can live before and after giving birth and also a daycare centre where the mothers can leave their children daytime, while working to support themselves and their babies. Every year, about 100 women and their children are helped by Oum El Banine during the most vulnerable time. This page was created by Jennie Silis, a Swedish woman working as a volunteer for Oum El Banine since 2007. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me, here or by e-mail: [email protected]
