National Committee to Curb Traditional Practices Harmful to the Health of Women and Girls and Violence against Women

Brief Description

This committee was set up by an interministerial decree in 2001 and brings together representatives of a number of ministerial departments, including those for social affairs, health, home affairs, justice, education, planning and the environment.

The Committee is empowered to: (i) collect all data on harmful practices and violence affecting the health of women and girls; (ii) initiate studies and research to shed light on the causes, occurrences and repercussions of such various harmful practices and instances of violence; (iii) list, assess and disseminate all existing legal instruments that protect women and girls against such harmful practices and violence; (iv) make the population aware of, and inform and education them about, such harmful practices and violence; (v) put forward measures designed to eradicate such harmful practices and violence; (vi) condemn all forms of, or attempts to commit, harmful practices or violence on women and girls; (vii) make the population aware of, and inform and education them about, the links between HIV infection/AIDS and certain forms of violence against women and girls; (viii) draw up and carry out a national plan of action against harmful practices and violence against women; (ix) coordinate the efforts of NGOs, community-based organizations and religious faiths to eliminate such practices and violence.