Intersectional thinking on equal opportunities

Intersectionality is the phenomenon where diverse grounds for discrimination reinforce each other, creating a specific, more intense unequal treatment for the affected person.  In all equal opportunities issues, intersectionality in practice is a starting point not only for the research to be carried out but also for the action to be taken.

At equal.brussels, crossroads thinking is the common thread running through the grant policy and campaigns. A good example of this approach championed by equal.brussels can be found in the Equal(c)ity project discussed earlier, which focuses on LGBTQI+ people from migrant backgrounds who are victims of violence.

Single-parent families represent about one-third of families in Brussels. In Brussels, one child in four grows up in a single-parent family. However, this significant part of the population in the capital is more at risk of poverty (lower quality housing, lower income, etc.). Single mothers account for some 90% of these parents and are financially responsible for raising one or more children alone.

Aware of the challenges associated with single parenthood in the Brussels-Capital Region, the Brussels Regional Public Service decided to create the website Parent SoloExternal link. The website gives an overview of the various services and the assistance available and accessible to single parents living in the Brussels-Capital Region. It is aimed at single parents and professionals who support them.