In Brussels, more than one in three families is a single parent. At their head, an immense majority of women who raise one or more children alone.
These “solo parents” are the most vulnerable group today in Brussels: increased risk of poverty, difficulties in accessing healthcare, including for children, enormous mental burden which creates mental health problems, isolation, lack educational solutions for children, etc.
In addition to the economic violence suffered by these mothers in 2023, stigmatizing looks or even discrimination in access to housing, employment, etc.
This Wednesday, April 12, single mothers will come to testify to their difficulties in the Brussels parliament. LN24 met one of them.
From the age of 17 until she is 42 today, Amina takes care of her three boys and her daughter on a daily basis. Children she had with different dads who provide her with almost no help. Amina therefore had to manage differently.
“Being a single mother is a daily struggle.” Indeed, with a salary of €1,700 per month, Amina must withdraw €700 for rent, €400 for food and several hundred euros for petrol, sports activities and various bills. Result: at the end of the month there is almost nothing left and the slightest expense is accounted for even if, for her children, Amina is ready to sacrifice everything.
“Being a single mom, you are not considered because you will not be able to have late meetings or such. However, there are many who are nurses and it works. Being a single mom is regarding surviving. We don’t is not always valued.” For Amina, being a single mother also means having difficulty finding a job and often being stigmatized.
To support single mothers, Amina has since created her own association. Today, there are at least 65,000 single-parent families in the Brussels region alone. The vast majority of them are women.
