Government: action plan against sexual violence

Government: action plan against sexual violence

 

 

The news surrounding The Voice of Holland and Ajax shows that ‘extra effort’ is needed in the fight against sexual violence, according to Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf of Education, Culture and Science. He will come up with a national action plan. To help the cabinet, Mariëtte Hamer will become government commissioner for ‘transgressive behaviour and sexual violence’ as of April. Hamer is chairwoman of the Social and Economic Council (SER), former chairwoman of the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA) and former chairwoman of the National Union of Students.

 

According to the government, a ‘fundamental cultural change’ is needed. Dijkgraaf also mentioned education and research. According to him, in education and research there is ‘plenty of attention for these issues’. He points, for instance, to the forthcoming advisory report ‘Nurturing and prevention of undesirable behaviour in science’ by the scientific society KNAW. “In addition, the Education Inspectorate is carrying out a thematic investigation into social safety in higher education,” says Dijkgraaf. (HOP, BB)