Although prostitution in Morocco has been illegal since the 1970s it is widespread.

In 2015 the Moroccan

Health Ministry estimated there were 50,000 prostitutes in Morocco, the majority in the Marrakech
area.[2] Prostitutes tend to be Moroccan women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds as well as
migrants from sub Saharan Africa, many of whom are victims of human trafficking UNAIDS estimated the
figure at 75,000 in 2016.

Many children are vulnerable as adoption laws in Morocco are very rigid and difficult. Morocco's
increasing reputation for attracting foreign pedophiles made it sign various international treaties to deal
with the problem. Male prostitution exists but is stigmatised. Health services for Moroccan sex workers
include OPALS, an organisation promoting treatments for HIV/AIDS.

Traditionally, women's roles in North African society have been rigidly defined, particularly so with
increasing Islamification. Yet the economic and social realities often provide few alternatives to many
Moroccan women, and the area has increasingly been seen as permissive to prostitution

FDuring French colonial rule

prostitution was regulated.[16][17] The authorities were concerned about the spread of STIs, particularly
syphilis, amongst the troops stationed in the colony.[16] "Quartiers réservés" (red-light districts) were
set up where prostitution was permitted: Bousbir in Casablanca, Moullay Abdullah in Fez, Oukassa in
Rabat and Bab el Khemis in Marrakesh.[16]

Within these quartiers réservés prostitutes had to be registered and have mandatory regular health
checks.[16] They had to carry their registration card with them at all times and travel outside the quarter
was only allowed by permit.[16][17]

Outside the quarters maisons de tolérance (brothels) were set up for the use of Europeans. The
prostitutes in these maisons were subject to the same regulation.[16]

Some prostitutes worked outside the quartiers réservés. There was frequent police action against these
clandestines and they were forced to take a medical test. Those who were healthy received a warning. If
they had a STI they were taken to a hospital. On release from the hospital they were taken to the
quartiers réservés. Women who received three warnings were forcibly taken to the quartiers réservés.
[17]

Where troops were stationed away from the cities, bordels militaire (mobile brothels) were set up for
the soldiers.rench colonial rule

Much Loved

Much Loved is a 2015 French–Moroccan film about the prostitution scene in Marrakesh.[18] The film
tells about the lives of four prostitutes and shows their exploitation by pimps and the corruption of the
police.

The film was banned in Morocco for its "contempt for moral values and the Moroccan woman".[19] The
leading actress, Loubna Abidar, received death threats and in November 2015, she was violently attacked
in Casablanca and left the country for France soon after.[20][21] Religious authorities condemned the
film for portraying a negative image of Morocco, with its supporting of extramarital sex and sympathy for
homosexuals.[22]

Chikhat
Chikhat (Arabic ‫ شيخة‬shīkha) is a Moroccan term for singers, musicians, dancers and prostitutes

Traditionally female entertainers were also prostitutes.[24] Often they were part of a traveling show. In
modern times performers of the Chikhat dance are generally not prostitutes.

Sex trafficking
Morocco is a source, destination, and transit country for women and children subjected to sex
trafficking. According to a November 2015 study conducted by the Moroccan government, with support
by an international organization, children are exploited in sex trafficking. The 2015 study also found that
some Moroccan women are forced into prostitution in Morocco by members of their families or other
intermediaries.

Some female undocumented migrants, primarily from Sub-Saharan Africa and a small but growing
number from South Asia, are coerced into prostitution. Criminal networks operating in Oujda on the
Algerian border and in the northern coastal town of Nador force undocumented migrant women into
prostitution. Some female migrants, particularly Nigerians, who transit Oujda are forced into prostitution
once they reach Europe. International organizations, local NGOs, and migrants report unaccompanied
children and women from Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Cameroon are
highly vulnerable to sex trafficking in Morocco. Some reports suggest Cameroonian and Nigerian
networks force women into prostitution by threatening the victims and their families; the victims are
typically the same nationality as the traffickers.

Moroccan women and children are exploited in sex trafficking, primarily in Europe and the Middle East.
Moroccan women forced into prostitution abroad experience restrictions on movement, threats, and
emotional and physical abuse.

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks
Morocco as a 'Tier 2' country