The volunteer sector will be getting a boost in the form of €1.1 million towards projects focused on accessibility, anti-racism, gender and combating violence against women.
The announcement comes from Brussels’ Secretary of State for Equal Opportunity Nawal Ben Hamou, who said a significant increase in funding for 2021 allowed the city to finance even more projects than initially anticipated.
“I am delighted to be able to support so many diverse projects that give concrete expression not only to the Brussels Plan to combat violence against women, but also to the Region's priorities on gender equality and the fight against racism,” Ben Hamou said in a press release.
The supported projects include discussion groups, film debates, philosophical and participatory workshops, theatre plays, symposiums, festivals, exhibitions and more, all focused on various equality issues and themes.
There are also grants for the production of podcasts, documentaries and shows, and some initiatives will focus on the creation of teaching aids and other types of educational material aimed at raising awareness on issues of equality.
Avec plus d’1 million d’euros, je me réjouis de pouvoir soutenir des projets multiples et variés qui concrétisent les actions du Plan #StopViolence, la politique de handistreaming de la Région et nos priorités en matière d’Égalité hommes/femmes et de lutte contre le racisme. pic.twitter.com/npp8X1qiXx
— Nawal Ben Hamou (@nawalbenhamou) August 18, 2021
Translation: With more than 1 million euros, I am delighted to be able to support multiple and varied projects that give concrete expression to the actions of the #StopViolence Plan, the Region's handistreaming policy and our priorities in terms of gender equality and the fight against racism.
Ben Hamou first launched the call for projects in June this year.
“Numerous associations responded positively to this project call, which is unprecedented since it has been allocated a total of €1,125,000, almost a third of the annual budget for Equal Opportunities,” the press release explained.
The office received over 180 project proposals in less than a month, and the funding increase allowed 110 of them to receive financial support.
Ben Hamou says this demonstrates the dynamism of the many Brussels associations working on equal opportunities issues.
Grants will finance awareness-raising and information campaigns, in addition to funding training opportunities and studies on the impact of Covid-19 on equality between women and men.
The many projects target a wide range of audiences, Ben Hamou says, including children, young people, women and people who are victims of multiple forms of discrimination.
