Moroccan state television channel recently broadcast a tutorial showing women how to conceal the evidence of domestic violence with make-up, sparking public outrage.
In a daily program aired on Channel 2M, a makeup artist cheerfully demonstrated how to cover up injuries brought about by beating on a young woman whose face had been made up to look bruised and swollen, replete with a black eye.
“We hope these beauty tips will help you carry on with your daily life”, chirped the host at the end of the segment, which coincided with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. “Make sure to use loose powder to fix the makeup, so if you have to work throughout the day, the bruises don’t show,” continuted the host, who proceeded to recommend the best brands for heavy coverage foundations and concealers.
Those who watched the episode accused the show of seeking to “brainwash” women into believing that violence was acceptable and a normal part of a relationship, and that it should be tolerated and concealed rather than reported.
After the tutorial was aired, a petition was passed around and signed by hundreds of women that denounced the “standardization of violence against women,” and demanded an apology as well as sanctions against the TV station.
“As Moroccan women and as feminist activists in Morocco, and in the name of all Moroccan people, we denounce the message of normalisation with violence against women,” the petition read. “We demand severe sanctions against this show, ‘Sabahiyat’, and the TV Channel 2M. The violence should not be covered by makeup and the aggressors have to be condemned.”
The TV channel removed the clip from its website in response to complaints, issuing a “clarification” on its FaceBook page, which said that the episode was “completely inappropriate and has an editorial error of judgement in view of the sensitivity and the gravity of the subject of violence against women.”

After further pressure, the channel also broadcast a formal apology.

A national survey by the Moroccan High Commission for Planning found that in 2009 nearly two-thirds – or 62.8 percent – of women aged 18 to 65 had experienced “physical, psychological, sexual, or economic violence”.

Source: Independent