New law seeks to protect employees

A long-awaited law aimed at protecting thousands of young girls working as housemaids in Morocco took effect on Tuesday, the country's first such legislation. A report on the News24 site notes that it sets a minimum age of 18 for household work, in a bid to end the exploitation and abuse of young employees. Passed in 2016, the law imposes financial penalties on employers failing to provide contracts, a minimum wage, a weekly day off and annual holidays. However, rights groups say it does not go far enough, allowing teenagers to work as domestic helpers for a further five years until October 2023. Thousands of young girls in the North African kingdom are employed as maids, often facing abuse from their employers.