
The recent economic crisis affects mainly the most vulnerable people in our society. Certain sections of the population are exposed to a higher risk to end up in poverty: children, youngsters, single parents, impaired persons, migrants, ethnic-cultural minorities such as the Roma, … Also the gender gap keeps posing a problem and results in a larger poverty risk for women than for men.
Through the Europe 2020 strategy the European Union focuses on combating social exclusion and poverty in its economic, employment- and social agenda. By the year 2020 the EU wishes to set free at least 20 million people from a situation of poverty and social isolation. In order to reduce poverty and social exclusion, Europe summons the member states to allocate at least 20% of their ESF budget to this challenge.
The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, which was set up in 2010, supports member states in reaching these targets.
In 2015 ESF Flanders supported projects which provided coaching for:
Apart from this, VDAB receives ESF subsidies for tender activities that promote active inclusion and reducing poverty.
For 2016, ESF calls for proposals are scheduled regarding guidance of refugees towards sustainable employment, refugees and entrepreneurship and coaching of peoplen in their active age from households with very limited professional engagement.
In the context of the ESF Transnational Platform 2014-2020, ESF Flanders participates in the Inclusion Thematic Network. The network constitutes a platform to exchange information, creates synergies with other networks as well as diverse stakeholdes and raises the discussion about what exactly contributes to social inclusion to a higher level.