The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights has become a strategic roadmap for Ghent’s municipal governance, ensuring that the principles of equality and dignity are integrated into every level of public service. Through comprehensive anti-discrimination strategies, innovative poverty reduction programs, and dedicated support for vulnerable families, Ghent transforms abstract legal principles into actionable policies that safeguard its residents and strengthen the social fabric for all.
Ghent’s commitment to Article 21 (Non-discrimination) and Article 1 (Human Dignity) is most visible in its rigorous Action Plan for Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism. Developed in collaboration with diverse advisory councils representing ethnic diversity, persons with disabilities, and youth, this plan operates across crucial life domains such as education, housing, and employment. A flagship initiative within this framework is the bystander training program, which empowers residents, city staff and teachers and students of city schools to intervene in cases of hate speech, sexual harassment or racist behavior. Since its launch in 2021, the project has reached a significant milestone, training over 10,000 individuals by 2025. This initiative shifts the social narrative by setting clear boundaries on unacceptable behavior and providing bystanders with the practical tools needed to protect the rights of their fellow citizens. The city offers these trainings for free to residents and civil organizations of Ghent.
The city further operationalizes the Right to Social Security and Social Assistance (Article 34) through its cornerstone poverty reduction strategy. As an essential action within the lever of making rights and access to services more approachable and accessible, the “KinderenEerst” (Children First) project bridges the gap between social services and families at risk. The project achieves this by placing social workers directly within schools’ trusted environments where the threshold for seeking help is lower. The city proactively identifies families in need of study allowances, medical cards, or debt mediation. This early intervention model is designed to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty, ensuring that children from single-parent or large families are not excluded from the social and cultural development rights guaranteed to them. By relieving the administrative burden on schools and providing direct material support, Ghent ensures that the right to an education and a dignified life remains accessible to all.
Parallel to school-based support, Ghent provides specialized “Mobile Trajectory Guidance” for teenage parents, a group particularly vulnerable to social exclusion and precarious living conditions. This project empowers young mothers and fathers through a relationship of trust, focusing on their physical and psychosocial well-being while building bridges to the labor market, education, and healthcare. Each year, the program manages intensive trajectories, focusing on both individual empowerment and structural change. By formally signalingthe societal challenges faced by these young parents to relevant authorities, the city ensures that its governance remains responsive to real-world needs. Through these combined efforts, Ghent serves as a powerful example of how local authorities can leverage the EU Charter to build a city where every resident can participate fully and live with dignity