Belgium's French-speaking authorities have adopted a new joint plan aimed at strengthening the fight against violence against women, but feminist organisations have warned that its success will ultimately depend on funding and implementation.
Wallonia, the French Community of Belgium and the French Community Commission (Cocof) have jointly adopted the French-speaking Plan to Combat Violence Against Women (PVIF) 2025-2029, according to RTBF.
The plan includes 25 priority measures and 22 good-governance measures, covering prevention, victim protection and support for perpetrators of domestic and intrafamilial violence.
Among the measures are the roll-out of interdisciplinary services dealing with intimate partner violence, the creation of a support and accountability centre for perpetrators, the implementation of a 'New Start Package' for victims wishing to leave abusive relationships and a pilot project involving electronic distancing bracelets.
The plan will also form part of Belgium's future National Action Plan to Combat Gender-Based Violence 2026-2030, with the three French-speaking authorities contributing measures within their respective areas of competence.
"Violence against women does not recognise administrative borders," Walloon and French Community Minister for Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights Yves Coppieters (Les Engagés) told RTBF. "It was therefore essential that our three French-speaking entities speak with one voice and pursue the same ambition."
Concerns over implementation
While organisations working with victims welcomed the plan's adoption, several expressed concerns about whether sufficient resources would be made available.
Laetitia Genin, national coordinator at Vie Féminine, described the plan as largely a continuation of previous policies, while welcoming its emphasis on improving professionals' understanding of domestic and intrafamilial violence.
She stressed, however, that the effectiveness of training will depend on how extensively it is delivered and on the resources allocated to it.
The plan also explicitly recognises children as victims of domestic violence, rather than merely witnesses. Genin welcomed this development, noting that the youth assistance sector is specifically mentioned in relation to training.
Another major focus is violence occurring after a couple separates. According to a 2019 study, 79% of women experiencing domestic violence continued to suffer violence after separation, with some cases persisting for more than five years.
Post-separation violence can include threats, coercive control, the use of children, cyber-harassment and economic or legal abuse, and can in some cases escalate to femicide – the killing of a woman or girl on account of her gender.
Facilities for perpetrators
Five of the plan's 25 priority measures directly concern perpetrators of domestic and intrafamilial violence. Cécile Kowal, a psychologist at Praxis, an organisation working with perpetrators, told RTBF that the issue had previously received less attention in public policy.
She welcomed the fact that the new plan provides for different routes to support, including both judicial measures and voluntary assistance.
One proposed measure would create accommodation facilities for violent men, allowing perpetrators to be housed and supported while potentially reducing the need for victims and their children to leave their homes.
But Kowal warned that there could be a significant gap between the plan's ambitions and the funding available.
She also highlighted the lack of appropriate services for underage perpetrators of sexual and intimate violence, which she described as a major gap on the ground.
Shelters under financial pressure
The financial situation of shelters for victims is another concern. Josiane Coruzzi, director of Solidarité Femmes, said that women staying in shelters are often required to contribute financially, with CPAS support sometimes covering part of the cost.
She argued that existing structural funding is insufficient to cover the full cost of operating a shelter around the clock. "This means that some women cannot be accommodated by us and may therefore have to remain in violent situations," she said.
Coruzzi also questioned whether the plan goes far enough on prevention, particularly in addressing the rise of masculinist ideologies. She argued that occasional awareness campaigns and limited sex and relationship education sessions would not be enough to meet the scale of the challenge.
'Victims must be at the heart' of the policy
Hafida Bachir, founder of the Egali-T organisation and a participant in the previous national action plan, explained that the key test would be whether the new plan succeeds in putting victims at the centre of public policy.
She argued that the division of powers between Belgium's Federal Government and federated entities should not result in victims having to navigate a fragmented system. "The victim must be the guiding thread in the design, implementation and evaluation of policies to combat violence," Bachir said.
She welcomed the inclusion of gynaecological and obstetric violence and the reference to coercive control, but questioned the limited attention given to housing, including transitional accommodation for victims.
She also called for greater consideration of an intersectional approach, particularly for women facing multiple forms of discrimination.
