International Women's Day 2026: 5 legal facts about women's rights in Belgium
International Women's Day falls on March 8th every year. To mark March 8th, 2026, we've compiled five legal facts that are particularly relevant in Belgium (and sometimes at the EU level).
1. Discrimination based on gender is prohibited (and pregnancy counts)
Many people know that "discrimination" is prohibited, but less is known about its broad scope in practice: from recruitment and promotions to dismissals, training, wage policies, and even access to goods and services.
Important note: in Belgium, direct discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or motherhood is considered equivalent to direct discrimination based on sex. In other words, treating someone "differently" because she is pregnant can legally constitute sex discrimination.
What does this mean in practice?
- An employer may not use pregnancy as an excuse to refuse to hire, demote, deny a contract extension, or treat someone differently.
- Discrimination can also play a role outside the workplace (e.g., in service provision).
Want to learn more about how discrimination sometimes subtly surfaces in files? In a different context (the rental market), we explain why certain questions can quickly become "sensitive":
What information can I request from my prospective tenant?
2. Unwanted (sexual) behavior at work: you have options and there are procedures
Women (and men too) can experience bullying, violence, or unwanted sexual behavior at work. Legally, it's crucial to know that you're not "powerless": there are procedures and courses of action.
Practical tip: You can usually choose between (or initiate) internal steps (such as contacting a confidential counselor/prevention advisor), filing a complaint with the Inspectorate for Well-being at Work, and/or taking legal action.
Why is this important? Because the chosen step can influence:
- the gathering of evidence;
- timing;
- protection against reprisals;
- the feasibility of a solution.
In employment contexts, dismissal protections are also discussed (for example, in specific situations). A short, easy-to-understand introduction can be found here:
Does my employer have to justify my dismissal?
3. Maternity leave: 15 weeks is the basic principle, but the “mandatory” parts are crucial
Maternity leave is more than just "a few weeks of leave." The law works with a combination of prenatal and postnatal leave, with a portion that you can plan (within limits) and a mandatory portion.
Tidbit to remember: the basic principle for employees is 15 weeks of maternity leave. The system consists of a prenatal (before delivery) and a postnatal (after delivery) component.
Why this tidbit matters: In practice, questions often go wrong on two counts:
- when exactly prenatal leave can begin;
- which days/weeks are absolutely mandatory (and therefore cannot be scheduled as "free time").
Those who wish to read more about this in light of family formation and legal consequences will also find relevant background information on medically supervised trajectories:
Descent after medically assisted reproduction
4. Reproductive rights: termination of pregnancy is legally possible, but with conditions
In Belgium, voluntary termination of pregnancy under certain conditions is no longer a criminal offense. However, it is not a "free zone": the law stipulates deadlines, a duty to provide information, and a reflection period, and there are exceptions.
Title: the general regulations stipulate a statutory deadline (traditionally 12 weeks after conception) and a statutory reflection period of six days between the consultation and the procedure, except in cases of urgent medical necessity.
A comprehensive, clearly explained summary can be found here:
When is abortion allowed?
In the same vein (but with a different approach), this might also be useful:
Surrogacy
5. EU wage transparency: Member States must introduce rules by 7 June 2026 (impacting both employers and applicants)
The pay gap isn't just a "public conversation": European regulations are also being introduced to strengthen transparency.
Tidbit to remember: the EU directive on pay transparency (Directive (EU) 2023/970) must be transposed by the Member States by June 7, 2026. This directive includes information rights and transparency measures intended to help enforce equal pay.
Why this is relevant to women's rights: Pay transparency makes it easier to expose and address unequal treatment.
Finally
International Women's Day is about visibility and progress — and also about knowing what rights you already have today.
Want to know more about your rights?
Please feel free to contact Wanted Law.