Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Jeanneke Pis was dressed as a street sweeper in Brussels to stress gender imbalance, with only 6 women among 213 sweepers, as part of World Cleanup Day on September 20, 2025.
AS VRT News reported, in Brussels, the Jeanneke Pis statue in the Getrouwheidsgang is dressed as a street sweeper for the first time to attract more women in this profession. She wears a cap, holds a broom, and stands next to a wheelie bin. Her brother Manneken Pis, known for his many costumes, will soon appear in his street sweeper outfit again.
What is Brussels doing by dressing Jeanneke Pis as a Street sweeper?
The report also pointed out that Brussels employs 213 street sweepers, but only 6 of them are women.
“Our city must be inclusive, across all services. Street sweepers are constantly visible on the streets, and we believe it’s important that the entire population is represented in the profession,”
says Andreas De Kerpel, spokesperson for Anas Ben Abdelmoumen (PS), Alderman for Public Cleanliness.
Officials mentioned that the action is part of a wider campaign. Brussels is creating more changing rooms and showers to support female staff. Local Public Social Welfare Centres are also inviting women to test the job for a short period.
The timing links with World Cleanup Day on September 20, 2025. On that day, people in 211 countries will take part in clean-up campaigns. In Brussels, temporary cleanup villages will be set up in the Marolles, Neder-Over-Heembeek, Laken, Haren, the European Quarter, the Bois de la Cambre, and Place de Brouckère. From these sites, residents can join actions to remove waste from streets and parks.
Manneken Pis, the city’s most famous icon, has been dressed in costumes since the 17th century. It now boasts a collection of more than 1,000 outfits. In 1987, artist Denis-Adrien Debouvrie introduced Jeanneke Pis as a contemporary counterpart in the Getrouwheidsgang. It has become a smaller, yet recognisable, attraction.
The emphasis on street sweepers is in accordance with World Cleanup Day, which was initiated in Estonia in 2008 and has been celebrated every September since, in over 200 countries. Brussels has participated in World Cleanup Day since 2018, as a means of promoting neighbour-centric cleanups and demonstrating the problem of waste in the city.
