- Abortion legal status
- Illegal
- Emergency contraception
- Without a prescription
- Emergency number
- 112
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: atmarrakech.com, smartraveller.gov.au
Good to know
Good to Know
- Emergency contraception (EllaOne / levonorgestrel) is legally sold in Moroccan pharmacies and in practice is usually sold without a prescription or age check, based on traveler reports in Marrakech — but policies can vary by individual pharmacist, so it's worth having a backup plan (e.g., knowing which regular birth control pills can serve as emergency contraception) if one pharmacy declines.
- If you experience a sexual assault in Marrakech, seeking care at a hospital (ask specifically for a gynaecologist) is the standard route for both a medical exam and guidance on emergency contraception and STI/HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP); PEP is accessed through emergency rooms.
- Most formal women's-violence support networks and shelters in Morocco (e.g., AMVEF-affiliated centers, INSAF) are concentrated in Rabat and Casablanca; if you need in-person psychological/legal support in Marrakech specifically, your country's consulate or embassy is often the fastest way to get a local referral.
- You can request a female officer when reporting to police, though this may not always be possible depending on staffing at the station.
- Abortion is illegal in Morocco except in a narrow, bureaucratically difficult health/life-saving exception — this applies to residents and visitors alike, so know the legal risk before assuming any access route exists.
- For general gynecological and obstetric care unrelated to abortion (checkups, contraception counselling, pregnancy care, STI screening), Marrakech has several well-equipped private clinics and OBGYN practices, and many practitioners speak French and at least some English.
- French is the dominant working language in private healthcare in Marrakech; confirm English-language capability directly with a clinic before booking if that matters to you.
- If you experience a medical emergency related to pregnancy complications (including from any abortion attempt), Moroccan hospitals and clinics generally provide emergency treatment for complications regardless of the underlying circumstances.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment: How Common and Where
Verbal harassment such as catcalling, staring and persistent comments is widely reported as the most common safety issue for women in Marrakech, though it is described as mostly non-physical. Local coverage notes it is frequent in the medina away from the main thoroughfares, noticeably less common in Gueliz during the day, and rare in Hivernage. Australia's government travel advisory for Morocco states that female travellers may be sexually harassed and that women may face unwanted attention particularly at markets and tourist sites.
Walking Alone at Night: Areas Generally Fine vs. Advised Against
Multiple Marrakech-focused sources describe the main arteries of the medina (including the area around Jemaa el-Fnaa) and Gueliz as staying lively and comfortable after dark, while the narrow dead-end alleys (derbs) of the medina become quieter, darker and warrant more caution for solo women, especially after 10-11pm. Some guides specifically advise against walking alone in the old medina after about 9-10pm. The Canadian government's general country advisory notes that women travelling alone in Morocco may face harassment and verbal abuse, without singling out specific Marrakech streets.
Taxis and Ride-hailing
Local sources recommend using the small metered petit taxis (often beige or red depending on the source) and insisting the driver runs the meter, or agreeing a fare in advance to avoid disputes. Ride-hailing apps such as Careem and inDrive operate in Marrakech, show the fare before the ride starts and remove the need to haggle, which one Marrakech-specific safety guide describes as the most reassuring option for solo women travelling at night. Unmarked or unregistered cabs are generally advised against, and Australia's government travel advisory for Morocco more broadly recommends avoiding walking or travelling alone and taking care with transport at night.
Practical Precautions Commonly Recommended
Guides consistently suggest dressing modestly (covering shoulders and knees), walking with visible purpose and confidence, avoiding prolonged eye contact with persistent men, and responding to unwanted attention with a firm, clear refusal rather than ignoring it, since a firm response is reported to work in de-escalating most encounters. Keeping bags zipped and close in crowded souk areas is also widely advised due to separate pickpocketing risk. Australia's government advisory for Morocco adds the general precaution of avoiding isolated areas and dark streets at night and taking care around ATMs, where harassment and aggressive begging have also been reported.
Legal Protections Against Harassment (National Context)
At the national level, Morocco passed a law criminalizing violence against women, including public sexual harassment, which took effect in 2018 and introduced prison terms and fines for people convicted of harassing women in public spaces. Human rights organizations at the time noted the law was a step forward but criticized it for not explicitly covering marital rape and for lacking clear support services for survivors. This is documented at the country level rather than specifically for Marrakech.
Abortion Law And OB-GYN
- Access Reality
- Because of the vague criteria, third-party authorization requirements, and doctors' fear of prosecution or losing their license, human rights researchers report that safe, legal abortion is effectively unavailable to most women in Morocco, including many who would technically qualify under the health exception. Physicians who are subpoenaed can also be compelled to testify about abortions they're aware of, which undermines confidentiality and deters both patients and doctors from engaging with the legal pathway at all.
- Abortion Time Limit
- No specific abortion time limit is written into the law itself. Under the narrow lawful health exception, medical code of conduct guidance generally treats abortion as permissible only up to fetal viability, and one legal analysis cites a 120-day threshold tied to the health exception, but in practice providers and courts apply this inconsistently with no clear public protocol.
- Country Legal Status
- illegal
- Enforcement And Risk
- Morocco actively prosecutes abortion-related cases; courts saw dozens of trials and over a hundred convictions in recent years, and "inciting abortion" (including sharing information about it) is itself a separate criminal offense carrying up to two years in prison. Enforcement is described as uneven and unpredictable, with no consistent legal guidelines on how cases are pursued, which creates real legal exposure for anyone directly involved, not just uncertainty on paper.
- Legal Framework Summary
- Abortion is criminalized under Article 449 of Morocco's Penal Code, with penalties of imprisonment and fines for anyone who performs or assists an abortion, rising sharply if the woman dies. A narrow exception exists only to protect the woman's health or life, and even then the law imposes bureaucratic hurdles rather than granting a real right to access.
- Scam And Safety Warnings
- Because abortion is illegal and unregulated, there is no way to verify credentials, safety standards, or legitimacy of any provider offering the procedure, and women in vulnerable situations are known to be targeted by unqualified or exploitative individuals. No sourcing, pricing, or provider information can be responsibly given here given the legal status; anyone facing this situation should prioritize safety and, if experiencing complications, seek emergency medical care, where treatment for complications is generally provided regardless of the circumstances.
- Legal Exceptions And Requirements
- The only lawful ground is to preserve the woman's life or health, and this must be certified by a physician. If married, the law generally requires the husband's authorization; if there is no husband or he refuses, the treating physician must instead obtain authorization from a chief medical officer. To save the woman's life specifically (as opposed to her broader health), spousal consent is not required, but a second physician must be consulted before the procedure. There is no exception for rape or incest in the Penal Code itself, despite past reform proposals (notably a 2016 draft law that would have allowed abortion up to 90 days for rape/incest or 120 days for fetal impairment/mental disability) that stalled in parliament and were never enacted.
- Harm Reduction And Safety Notes
- Because there is no safe, publicly accessible legal pathway for most women, clandestine and self-managed abortion is widespread in Morocco, and rights groups have documented serious harms including botched procedures, severe complications, and in rape/incest cases, additional legal jeopardy under separate laws criminalizing extramarital sexual relations. Anyone facing this situation in Marrakech should be aware that discussing or seeking an abortion carries genuine legal risk under Moroccan law, that medical confidentiality is not guaranteed in this context, and that self-induced methods (including unverified herbal or pharmaceutical approaches) carry real risk of severe bleeding, infection, or incomplete abortion requiring emergency care.
Named OB-GYN Options Marrakech
Clinique Internationale Marrakech
- Type
- Private clinic
- Services
- General and specialized gynecology including routine exams, menstrual disorder management, fertility evaluation, contraception counselling, menopause care, and obstetrics (prenatal/postnatal care).
- Notes
- Positioned as an international-patient-facing facility with multilingual staff.
Clinique Averroes
- Type
- Private clinic, Gynaecology Department
- Services
- Routine checkups, treatment of gynaecological conditions, surgical procedures, plus aesthetic gynaecology (CO2 laser therapy, labiaplasty, vaginal rejuvenation).
Clinique Plaza Marrakech (Maternity & Gynecology Department)
- Type
- Private clinic
- Services
- Gynecological and breast pathology care, pregnancy support for both vaginal and cesarean delivery, high-risk pregnancy and premature-delivery care, with a maternity team available 24/7.
Dr. Mouna Zaki – Cabinet De Gynécologie-Obstétrique
- Type
- Private OBGYN practice
- Services
- General gynecology and obstetrics consultations.
- Notes
- Independent practice rather than hospital-based clinic.
Dr. Younes Benfdil
- Type
- Private OBGYN practice
- Services
- Gynecological follow-up and obstetric care.
- Notes
- Independent practice rather than hospital-based clinic.
Assault Resources
- Embassy Support
- Foreign consulates (e.g., the British Embassy in Morocco) can provide information on local police and medical procedures and offer consular support; contacting your own country's embassy in Rabat is a standard first step for non-Moroccan nationals.
Emergency Police
- Number
- 190
- Description
- National police emergency number to call if in immediate danger.
Reporting And Medical Process
- Medical Exam
- Victims of rape and sexual assault in Morocco are usually seen by gynaecologists, who can assess injury and advise on pregnancy and STI risk, and a female staff member can be requested if desired.
- Confidentiality
- Hospitals will generally respect a victim's wishes not to involve police, though if staff suspect sexual abuse they are obliged to inform hospital administration.
- Police Reporting
- Contact the nearest police station, who can accompany a victim to the nearest medical facility for examination.
- Foreign Nationals
- Foreign nationals can access care in all government hospitals, though a small fee may apply, and public hospitals typically require cash payment.
- Evidence Preservation
- It's advised not to wash or change clothes before a medical exam if reporting is intended, since this can help preserve forensic evidence for police.
National Hotlines And Networks
- Name
- AMVEF Network (Association Marocaine de Lutte contre la Violence à l'Egard des Femmes)
- Description
- A national Moroccan women's rights network with a large network of counselling, psychological and legal assistance centers for women victims of violence across the kingdom, which local sources indicate includes coverage reaching Marrakech.
- Detail Note
- The gov.uk victim resource states the AMVEF network has grown to include more than 70 counselling and psychological and legal assistance centres for women victims of violence across the kingdom.
UNHCR Morocco GBV Support Line
- Phone General
- +212 (0)6 61 48 68 81
- Phone Female Staff
- +212 (0) 767 052043
- Phone Medical Emergency 24 7
- +212 (0) 6 61 93 43 54
- Note
- The medical emergency line is described as available seven days a week, 24 hours a day for information on Post-Exposure Prophylaxis after an assault.
- Description
- Primarily aimed at refugees and asylum seekers, but the hotline model illustrates the type of protection support available; services are free of charge.
Findahelpline.com Morocco Listings
- Description
- An aggregator that lists free, confidential sexual abuse and domestic violence helplines available in Morocco, offering online chat, text, and phone support with no sign-up required.
Contraception And Emergency Contraception
- Regulatory Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- General Access Note
- In Morocco, birth control pills are informally available without a prescription, meaning they can typically be purchased over-the-counter at pharmacies, and this informal OTC access has been reported by travelers to extend to emergency contraception as well.
Methods Available
IUD
- Access Route
- Available through family planning services such as AMPF (Association Marocaine de Planning Familial), where consultations are affordable and the device/procedure itself is reportedly provided free through that program.
- Brand Available
- Mirena is available in Morocco.
- Consultation Price
- MAD 120
- Price Note
- Approximate cost for two consultations at AMPF; the device and insertion procedure were reported as free through this program.
Daily Pill
- Price
- MAD 13
- Availability
- Widely available at pharmacies; commonly used method among Moroccan women, with the pill used by roughly half of married/partnered women using contraception.
- Price Note
- Approximate monthly cost for standard combined oral contraceptive pills, per pharmacy pricing reported by users.
Implant And Injectable
- Availability
- Injectable contraceptives (e.g., Depo-Provera, Megestron) are available in Morocco, and Morocco was the first country in the world to adapt and launch WHO guidance on self-administered injectable contraception.
- Cost Context
- A key barrier noted by WHO is the relatively high per-dose cost of the self-administered injectable version, around US$27 per unit, and talks are ongoing about whether this could be subsidized under national health coverage.
Emergency Contraception Pill
- Backup Method
- If dedicated emergency contraception isn't available, standard combined oral contraceptive pills (e.g., Microgynon, Minidril, Neogynon, Stediril) can be used off-label as emergency contraception within 120 hours of unprotected sex, following specific dosing schedules for each brand.
- Reported Price
- MAD 145
- Regulatory Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Products Available
- Two emergency contraceptive formulations are registered and available in Morocco: ulipristal acetate (brand EllaOne) and levonorgestrel-based products.
- Prescription Requirement
- Not formally listed on Morocco's official OTC medicines list, but in practice widely accessible without a prescription at pharmacies.
- Price Note
- Price reported by a traveler for EllaOne purchased at a pharmacy in Marrakech; pharmacist did not request a prescription or ask for age.
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this women's health & safety research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Marrakech
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.