YouTube: A Moroccan television network has come under fire after broadcasting a segment showing women who had been abused how to cover their bruises.
Sabahiyat on Channel 2M featured the piece on November 23, showing victims of domestic violence how to use make-up to mask their wounds.
In the feature, a woman lies in a reclined chair, her face covered in theatrical make-up to give her bruises around her eyes as if she has been punched.
The feature's host uses collection of concealers and foundation to mask the mark.
Those who signed the petition have left comments saying 'shame on the programme'.
According to The New Arab, the host ended the segment by saying: 'We hope these beauty tips will help you carry on with your daily life.'
The show faced a fierce backlash and a petition was set up on Change.org to urge the network to condemn the aggressor, not cover the bruise.
The petition, which has been signed by nearly 1,500 people, stated: 'A few days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a show dedicated to women on the Moroccan public channel 2M aired the November 23 a segment showing Moroccan women how to cover bruises from domestic violence.
'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. We demand severe sanctions against this show, "Sabahiyat", and the channel 2M.
'We encourage signatories to contact the High Authority of Audiovisual Communication (HACA), demanding they take action against 2M and Sabahiyat.
'Do not cover domestic violence with makeup, condemn the aggressor!'
One person who signed wrote: 'This is wrong and unfair and definitely bad for the next generations.'
Channel 2M removed the clip from its website and released a statement on its Facebook page calling the segment "completely inappropriate" and was an "error of judgement".
The statement said: 'The management believes that this section is completely inappropriate and has an editorial error of judgement in view of the sensitivity and the gravity of the subject of violence against women.
'The chain offers its sincerest apologies for this error of judgement and is committed to take the necessary steps towards the people responsible for this error and to strengthen the tools of control and supervision on this subject.'
