Belgium - September 2023

More than a thousand people gathered in Brussels to protest a new decree, known as Evras (education for relational, emotional and sexual life), approved this month in French-speaking parts of Belgium. In parallel, there have been eight separate cases of vandalization or arson in Liège and Charleroi, which appear to be linked to the approval of the Evras programme. The decree mandates minimal two-hour sex education sessions and is estimated to impact 85,000 students in Wallonia and 25,000 students in Brussels. The decree, together with the publication of a detailed manual for instructors delivering Evras material, have been met with firm opposition by religious associations as well as civil society organisations. Members of the Coordination Council of Islamic Institutions of Belgium (CIB) have filed an appeal to annul the decree with the Constitutional Court. Education Minister Caroline Désir pointed to widespread dis- and misinformation around the programme, accusing Evras of promoting hypersexualisation of children, or encouraging young people to identify with a particular sexual orientation or gender.

Sources: Le Monde (1), Le Monde (2), RTBF (1), RTBF (2), RTBF (3), Le Point, BFM TV, Evras, The Brussels Times