SDG #10: Reduce inequality (withing and among countries)
WAAK is a diverse company, and one in which you are free to be yourself, regardless of gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, etc. Many of WAAK’s employees originate from other countries. Currently, about 300 people (or 14%) come from abroad. This number has increased significantly over the last 5 years and we do not expect that this trend is likely to change any time soon.
Higher poverty risk among non-Western migrants
The sustainable Development Goals (and more specifically SDG 10) emphasise the importance of a decent income in eliminating inequality. We agree with this vision: in our opinion, income inequality is one of the main causes of social inequality. The United Nations wants its members to “achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40% of the population at a rate higher than the national average by 2030”. This ‘bottom 40% of the population’ includes a lot of migrants. According to the study ‘Income and diversity: Research Into the Income of Migrants in Belgium’ by Belgium’s Centre for Social Policy (Centrum Sociaal Beleid – CSB) and the University of Antwerp, they are mainly people from non-Western (i.e. non-EU) countries. Their income is “significantly lower than that of native-born Belgians and the risks of poverty in this group are three to four times higher”. The reason for this, according to the study, is due to the lower employment prospects. Migrants, especially those from non-EU countries, have more difficulties accessing the labour market.
The importance of a decent income
When we look at our company’s statistics, we are forced to agree with the CSB/UA study. The largest group of migrants to apply to and work at WAAK come from Africa and Asia. It is our goal to give these people a chance as well. We want to achieve this by providing them with a steady and decent income. Many of them are stuck in a spiral of unemployment or temporary jobs, which creates an insecure existence. We want to break this negative spiral by creating sustainable employment. 
Other solutions to fight inequality
Of course, a steady income is not the only way to fight inequality. Language and cultural barriers can also make it harder to access the labour market - and by extension society in general. By organising Dutch lessons and other kinds of training courses (e.g.: ‘Appropriate behaviour in the workshop’), we also try to reduce the impact of these difficulties.