BRISE !

As part of the BRISE! project, 16 reading workshops (8 pairs of workshops) were organized to raise awareness among participants—parents, children, and single-parent families—about women’s rights, the fight against discrimination, and gender equality. These workshops also aimed to improve the work-life balance of women, particularly those of foreign origin, who often face systemic obstacles (access to residency, recognition of qualifications, etc.) and individual obstacles (lack of knowledge of cultural codes, language proficiency, etc.).

Migrant women face specific challenges related to access to employment, but also to managing mental load and family responsibilities. These difficulties are even more pronounced for single-parent families, which represent 12% of households in Wallonia. The workshops were therefore designed to address these issues, allowing parents to participate without organizational constraints and children to benefit from appropriate activities. At the same time, the workshops raised children’s awareness of gender inequality and discrimination, which are often noticeable from an early age.

Every week between May and July, two reading workshops were held simultaneously: one for parents and one for children (aged 3 and up). The topics covered included women’s rights, the fight against discrimination, sharing responsibilities within the family, gender stereotypes at work, and migration. In partnership with the Univerbal interpretation service, the activities ensured linguistic inclusivity and allowed each participant to express themselves fully, regardless of their level of French.

By organizing separate workshops for parents and children (aged 3 and up), we wanted not only to enable parents/mothers to participate in the activities on offer without any organizational constraints, but also to raise children’s awareness of gender inequality. Indeed, gender discrimination, inequality between boys and girls, and everyday sexism in general are already present from childhood.