Fatigue, isolation, financial difficulties: single mothers testify in the Brussels parliament

The Brussels region has a large number of single-parent families: nearly one in three families. The heads of these households are overwhelmingly women.

Solo mothers came to testify to their experiences in the Brussels parliament this Wednesday, on the initiative of the socialist deputy Delphine Chabbert. The opportunity for these women to talk about their needs and to mention in particular the heavy mental burden that weighs on them.

Too little time for yourself

Sophie raises her 4-year-old daughter alone. A teacher and owner of her home, she does not benefit from aid. It is therefore not easy to make ends meet. But the precariousness is not only financial. It is also relational. Isolation and exhaustion are the daily life of single mothers. “ You have to manage everything on your own. This mental load is really very tiring to live with, especially when you work full time, ” explains the young woman. Renate agrees. Her daughter was born a year ago. She knew that she would take on the difficulties alone: ​​"I thought it would be rather logistics but in fact, the two biggest difficulties are isolation and having little time for yourself and therefore running out of energy after a while to occupy yourself properly of her child ".

Feeling supported and accompanied is therefore essential for single parents. A house is dedicated to them in Forest. Kadija Bouchirab, her coordinator, confirms the need to allow parents to breathe: " We have to rethink things for these families, offer childcare services, solutions for the well-being of single parents. They need these parentheses and taking time for them. This is what is most lacking in single-parent families, " she regrets.

Access to housing even more complicated for single-parent families

Finding accommodation is not easy in Brussels. It's even more complicated for single-parent families who often combine discrimination. The rent allowance is one of the tools of the support plan for these families put in place by the Brussels region in July 2021. " It helps single parents every month to pay their rent. Today there are a little more than 2,500 single-parent families who benefit from it. The amount varies between 120 and 280 euros depending on the composition of the household "explains Nawal Ben Hamou, Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities and Housing.

The voluntary sector also recalls that too many people are unaware of the aid to which they are entitled. To help make them known, there is a website.  Single parents can find information on the aid and services offered to them in the Brussels Region.

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