violence against women

Moroccan State TV Shows Women How to Cover Up Domestic Violence Bruises with Makeup

A makeup artist appeared on Morocco state TV to show women how to cover up their domestic-violence bruises and “carry on” with their lives, prompting outrage from women across the world.

The segment aired on November 23 on the daily program Sabahiyat, just two days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Guardian reports. In the clip, a makeup artist demonstrated how to cover a woman’s swollen and bruised face using makeup. “We hope these beauty tips will help you carry on with your daily life,” the host said during the segment.

Almost immediately after the clip aired, women took to social media to blast the station for teaching women to hide abuse, rather than condemning the aggressor, according to the BBC. Additionally, a Change.org petition received hundreds of signatures from angry women, demanding the country’s High Authority of Audiovisual Communication take action:

“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.”

The channel issued a statement on Facebook on November 25, calling the segment an “error in judgment” and announcing that it has removed the footage from its website.

Moroccan State TV Gives Domestic-Violence Makeup Tips