Like everywhere else in the world, the country has specific norms and customs when it comes to social interactions and cultural conduct. This applies to day-to-day interactions, dating , business etiquette , and more. Here is an overview of what to expect when it comes to social culture and etiquette in the Belgian home, workplace, and beyond. Belgium is a densely populated and remarkably diverse country. It is divided into three distinct regional communities with three national languages.
There is the Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, French-speaking Wallonia in the south, and a small region of German speakers in the east. The remainder of the population has another first language, such as English, Spanish , Turkish, or Arabic. Many residents are proficient in English. In fact, Belgium ranked 6 th out of countries on the English Proficiency Index. Belgium identifies mostly as a Christian country.
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The Belgian constitution specifically mentions freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on religious beliefs. Culturally, the three distinct regional communities are heavily influenced by the countries they take their language from i.
The Brussels-Capital Region is much more multicultural and influenced by the EU institutions that are based in the city. Since the s, Belgium has made strong efforts to promote gender equality in the private and public sectors. In , the country added the guaranteed equality of men and women to the Belgian Constitution. This institution is responsible for guaranteeing and promoting gender equality and combatting any form of gender-based discrimination.
Despite the proactive gender mainstreaming approach , the country still experiences a gender imbalance. Moreover, there is still a strong tradition of women fulfilling domestic roles rather than professional ones. New mothers get 15 weeks of quasi-paid parental leave , compared to 15 days of fully-paid leave for fathers and co-parents. Interestingly, marriage is more egalitarian in Belgium than in many other countries.
