Moroccan State TV Attempts To Normalize Violence Against Women By Airing ‘Tutorial For Females To Hide Bruises Of Domestic Abuse’

Moroccan state TV aired a segment on a women’s daily show that attempted to normalize domestic violence against women and provided a makeup tutorial on how to cover up bruises so the women would still be beautiful — essentially urging the female viewers that watched the segment, titled “Tutorial Instructions for Females to Hide Bruises of Domestic Violence,” to accept the bruises and live their lives as though their spouses never violently abused them.

The segment discussed the best brands to use when attempting to cover up the bruises left behind by domestic abuse, as well as instructions and tutorials on how to best hide the facial marks. The host of the show played along with the segment, sending hope that the tutorial would help the women that watched.

“We hope these beauty tips will help you carry on with your daily life.”

The segment’s focused on the best ways to cover the bruises so they would not show through the day, preventing embarrassing private home life from getting in the way of daily life.

“Make sure to use loose powder to fix the makeup so if you have to work throughout the day, the bruises don’t show.”

Despite the attempt to educate women on how to cover up the bruises of domestic violence, the show never posted information regarding how women could get help for their abusive situations.

Despite Moroccan state TV’s attempt to normalize the impact of domestic violence against women, the segment raised quite a few eyebrows and coerced quite a bit of backlash from viewers, as well as Moroccan journalist Samia Erraccouki. Although many of the show’s viewers felt it was an attempt to brainwash women into accepting domestic violence as a part of their relationship, Erraccouki drew a correlation between the segment and the upcoming International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, according to Metro.

Public outcry against the segment coerced the the channel, 2M, to post an apology to their Facebook page, claiming that it was inappropriate to air and a lapse of judgment allowed it to be broadcast.

“[M]anagement believes that this section is completely inappropriate and has an editorial error of judgement in view of the sensitivity and the gravity of the subject of violence against women. This approach is in complete contradiction with the editorial line of the chain, with the charter 2 M valorization of the image of the woman and especially with the commitment of 2 M for 27 years in favour of the defence […] The rights of the wife. Commitment known and recognized by our public and civil society.”

Despite the Moroccan state TV’s apology, many viewers refused to a believe it was sincere.

Moroccan state TV gives make-up tips on how to cover up domestic violence https://t.co/AE2HsNNiTn

— Metro (@MetroUK) November 27, 2016

Morocco World News reported that many Moroccan women took the matter into their own hands and started a petition that aims to denounce the “standardization of violence against women.”

“As Moroccan women and as feminist activists in Morocco, and in the name of all Moroccan people, we denounce the message of normalization with violence against women. We demand severe sanctions against this show, “Sabahiyat”, and the channel 2M.”

Violence against women in Morocco is a serious matter, resulting in nearly 21,000 reported incidents within the last two years. Of those reported incidents, 11,000 were directly related to physical abuse, whereas the remaining were linked to other types of abuse, such as verbal and mental abuse.

No one should suffer any sort of domestic abuse. If you are a victim, or know someone who is, reach out to your local domestic abuse hotline for help. In the United States, you can visit the Hotline to chat with someone that will listen, or you can call them at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

Moroccan state TV programme shows abused women how to cover bruises with make-up https://t.co/2g2gwOeZO7 htt… by #DIGT190 via @c0nvey

— Ivanhoe Kasinsky (@Kasinsky88) November 27, 2016

[Featured Image by Urbazon/Shutterstock]