Domestic violence against women poses a challenge to human rights, hurting human dignity and hindering full development of human beings, Angolan Minister of Social Welfare Joao Baptista Kussumua said on Tuesday.

Joao Baptista Kussumua made the remarks at Angola's first national conference on women and domestic violence in Luanda, saying domestic violence, which poses a serious problem in the African country, needs to be recognized and addressed by civil societies and the government. Public policies should be adopted to prevent and combat the phenomenon and to strengthen the networks to support and protect the victims, he said.

He stressed gender equality is essential for the development of Angola as it breaks down barriers related to education, harmonizing social relations, creating equal opportunities in all fields and building up a society where human rights are felt.

Men and women are different biologically but socially equal, and yet domestic violence resulted in negative impact like HIV/ AIDS within families, the minister said.