FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

One of Morocco’s most popular TV shows ran a beauty segment last week showing victims of domestic abuse how to cover up their injuries with ‘powder and rouge’. The segment, which ran on Sabahiyat, a hugely popular morning TV show in Morocco that pulls in more than two million viewers each day, was intended to promote International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

CHANNEL 2M The segment ran on TV show Sabahiyat last week

Sabahiyat host and acclaimed makeup artist Lilia Mouline showed her “dear viewers how to cover up black eyes and bruises with makeup”, before telling her female fans that domestic abuse was a “painful and sorrowful topic that people lacked the courage to discuss”. Using a real life ‘bruised’ model, Mrs Mouline gave her viewers a flurry of tips, including how they should “tap, and not press”, when using a makeup brush to cover up bruises to avoid feeling pain. During the segment, on November 25, told women to finish the look off with “a transparent loose powder” to set the makeup base, so they could “go to work or go about their daily business as if nothing”.

CHANNEL 2M It was hosted by makeup artist Lila Mouline

CHANNEL 2M Mrs Mouline used a real life 'bruised' model

The beauty segment provoked a wave of anger as soon across social media and was slammed as “shocking and insensitive” by Moroccan feminists and women’s rights defenders worldwide. Concerned Moroccan Citizens, a women’s rights group, said the TV show had “normalised” domestic violence, and launched a petition on change.org calling for “severe sanctions” against the morning show. Sabahiyat bosses swiftly apologised and said that the beauty segment had been an “error of judgement”, insisting the channel had spent “27 years advocating for women’s rights”.

CHANNEL 2M A women's rights group said the TV show 'normalised' domestic violence