The Brussels government said on Thursday it is in favour of the creation of an inter-ministerial commission dedicated to fighting violence against women, according to reports.
Minister-President Rudi Vervoort will bring this request before the coordination committee which brings together federal representatives and federal bodies on 18 December, Brussels Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities Nawal Ben Hamou (PS) announced on Thursday morning.
"This decision of the Brussels government is the first step towards national awareness of the urgency of the problem," Ben Hamou commented. She said she will present the first Brussels plan to fight violence against women in March.
For Ben Hamou, this violence must be fought at all levels of power. "The entire country must be mobilized in this fight. This could be by raising awareness in schools, adequately training health actors, police, justice… even by receiving and protecting victims. But it also entails the punishment and taking charge of the perpetrators," she added.
Ben Hamou said that her colleagues Christie Morreale and Benedicte Linard have the same aim and have initiated a similar approach within the Walloon and Federation Wallonia-Brussels governments.
According to the Brussels Secretary of State, the objective of the three ministers is to effectively advance and coordinate with all entities of the country on the National Action Plan 2020-2024.
For Ben Hamou, the Ministerial Commission will meet several times a year to assess the progress of measures taken by each minister, at each level of power.
The Brussels Times
