E/C.12/PRT/CO/4 employees, in particular under articles 6–8 of the Covenant, and that adequate remedies are available in practice. Minimum wage 12. The Committee notes the increase in the proportion of employees who earn the minimum wage from 5.5 per cent in April 2007 to 12 per cent in October 2013 and, while it welcomes the decision of the State party to increase the minimum wage per month from €485 to €505 as of 10 October 2014, after it had been frozen since 2011, it remains concerned that the level of the minimum wage is still not sufficient to provide workers and their families with a decent living (arts. 7, 9 and 11). The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that the minimum wage enables workers and their families to enjoy a decent living and that it is periodically reviewed and adjusted in line with the cost of living, in accordance with article 7, paragraph (a), of the Covenant. Domestic violence 13. While commending the State party for its efforts in combating domestic violence, including the adoption in December 2013 of the Fifth National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Domestic and Gender-based Violence for the period 2014-2017, the Committee is concerned that domestic violence is still prevalent (art. 10). The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen measures aimed at preventing and combating domestic violence by addressing its root causes and ensuring the effective implementation of the existing relevant legal and policy frameworks, including by: (a) Pursuing its awareness-raising efforts to widely sensitize the public at large, and in particular boys and men, about the unacceptability of any form of domestic violence and its criminal nature; (b) Encouraging the reporting of domestic violence cases by, inter alia, continuing to inform women of their rights and existing legal avenues to receive protection against domestic violence and strengthening the services available to victims; (c) Ensuring that law enforcement authorities, as well as medical and social workers, continue to receive appropriate training to deal with cases of domestic violence; (d) Ensuring effective prosecution of, and sanctions against, perpetrators. Poverty and social security 14. The Committee is concerned that the benefits that are based on the social support index (“Indexante de Apoios Sociais”), which was frozen in recent years as part of austerity measures, as well as the minimum amount of sickness benefit, are not sufficient to provide recipients and their families with a decent standard of living, affecting in particular the most disadvantaged individuals and groups. In addition, the Committee is concerned that, despite the State party’s efforts to combat poverty, including through social transfers, the resident population at risk of poverty reached 18.7 per cent in 2012, the highest value since 2005, with households that include dependent children, persons aged under 65 years, children and unemployed persons at a greater risk of poverty. The Committee is further concerned at the high level of income inequality in the State party (arts. 9 and 11). 5