Chairwoman of the National Council for Women, Mervat al-Talawi, has welcomed a decision by the Ministry of Interior to establish a body allocated to combat violence against women.

Talawi expressed hopes that the decision will be enforced soon, considering it an initial step towards addressing the growing phenomenon of violence against women.

She said that Egyptian women need to be protected from all forms of abuse and violations, stressing that they await further decisions to ensure their safety.

She added that this step comes in line with the demands of the National Council for Women and civil society organizations.

These demands were represented in installing surveillance cameras and appointing security patrols across the country to capture sexual offenders.

The National Council for Women also demanded the appointment of female specialist officers and social researchers in different police departments, to provide an appropriate atmosphere during investigations with women with sensitive cases.

The National Council for Human Rights has monitored a noted rise in the percentage of sexual harassment during the last two years in Egypt, adding that 72 percent of women are subjected to physical assaults, according to its latest report.