Call for all new Brussels stations to be named after women

Ministers of the Brussels parliamentary majority have tabled a motion for a resolution aimed at feminising the names of bus stops, trams and metro stations on the Stib network.

According to the ministers, public space in Brussels suffers from a lack of female representation. The Equal Street Names project revealed that only 3.6% of streets have women's names compared to 26% for men. While 29 metro stations have male names, only four are named after women.

In addition, out of 91 artworks on show in Brussels metro and pre-metro stations, only four display the work of women.

On the basis of this observation, a motion has been tabled to name all future Stib stations after women, in particular the stations which will feature on the new metro line 3.

In order to guarantee the emergence of role models for future generations and provide representation for all women, the motion aims to highlight women who preferably have a strong link with the Brussels region or Belgium. "It can be women from any background, for example from other origins, different social circles such as workers, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes... and diverse groups such as the LGBTQIA+ community or non-binary people," a statement from the ministers involved read.

Similarly, in order to achieve a gender balance in the Brussels public space, the proposal provides for a better visibility of works of art made by women. The majority also asks the Stib to give preference to young people representative of Brussels or Belgian society when a stop is temporarily renamed.