Belgium has become the first country in the world to grant sex workers the right to sick leave, maternity benefits, and pensions, following new legislation aimed at tackling abuse and exploitation.
The law, passed in May, officially took effect on Sunday, providing sex workers with the same employment protections as other workers.
This landmark reform ensures that sex workers can now secure employment contracts and enjoy legal protections, bridging a gap left after the decriminalization of sex work in 2022.
While decriminalization removed criminal penalties, it did not extend essential labor rights like health insurance or unemployment benefits.
The new law also empowers sex workers to refuse clients or specific services and to halt activities at any time.
Employers cannot penalize workers for such refusals. Business owners in the sector must meet strict criteria, including demonstrating good character and maintaining premises in Belgium.
Additionally, workspaces must be equipped with panic buttons, clean linens, showers, and condoms to ensure safety and hygiene.
However, the legislation excludes activities like home-based sex work, striptease, and pornography.
The Belgian Union of Sex Workers praised the law as a significant victory, stating it ends legal discrimination in the industry.
However, the union expressed concerns about potential misuse of the law by local authorities, warning that strict regulations under the guise of safety and hygiene could make it difficult for sex work to continue in certain areas.
Meanwhile, some feminist groups have criticized the law, fearing it legitimizes exploitation.
The Council of Francophone Women of Belgium, when the bill was first introduced in 2023, labeled it “catastrophic” for vulnerable groups, particularly young women and trafficking victims.
The group’s leader argued: “To assume that prostitution exists and that we must protect workers is to accept this sexist violence and not to fight it.”
