Charleroi is adding more streets named after women in the city. At the communal council's next meeting, the city will rename a road in Marchienne-au-Pont after Hyacinthe Henri, a female midwife who worked for 50 years in the town.
In 2016, only 2% of Charleroi’s street names bore the names of women. Today, there are reportedly 8%. Progression is considered insufficient by local collectives who have already led actions to highlight female characters.
In 2018, the Charliequeen group covered existing street signs with adhesive signs that bore women's names to push for female representation in the city.
Charleroi frequently renames streets. In recent years, it has been trying to eliminate duplicate names, of which there were over 300 in 2017. Names of inspirational women have taken centre stage in these replacements, with recent additions including streets named after resistance fighter Fernande Volral, activist Marie Mineur and the glassmaker Hortense Hocquemiller.
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Likewise, in Brussels the vast majority of street names are male, with only 6% being named after women according to Le Soir. Most big avenues in the city are named after men, with the exception of Avenue Louise.
The few streets with female names in the Belgian capital include those named after resistance fighter Gabrielle Petit, anti-alcohol activist Marie Parent, feminist Léonie La Fontaine, film director Chantal Akerman and painter Anna Boch.
