Interesting, i'm presently at Rabat and i hardly see any woman using niqab and men don't seam to be staring at them.
So, i would say it's a cultural matter.

"See no evil, talks no evil listens no evil

Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ