Brothel in Belgium. Credit: Shutterstock, Werner Lerooy
Belgium has made history as the first country in the world to grant sex workers comprehensive labour rights, marking a significant moment in the global debate over equality within the workplace.
The new legislation, which came into effect on December 1, 2024, allows sex workers to sign formal employment contracts, giving them access to traditional employment benefits including maternity leave, pensions, sick pay, health insurance, and more. It also ensures they have the right to refuse clients, set the conditions of an act, and stop it at any time.
Transforming the sex industry in Belgium
In 2022, Belgium decriminalised sex work and narrowed the legal definition of “pimping” to ensure sex workers could safely access financial and legal services without fear of repercussions. This latest move goes further by offering protections on par with those in other professions.
“This law is radical, and it’s the best step we have seen anywhere in the world so far,” said Erin Kilbride of Human Rights Watch.
Victoria, president of the Belgian Union of Sex Workers (UTSOPI), emphasised the importance of the change. “This law gives people the tools to make us safer,” she told the BBC, recounting unsafe working conditions and lack of legal protection before the reforms.
While the law has been praised as groundbreaking, it has not been without criticism. Julia Crumière from the NGO Isala argued that the trade inherently normalises exploitation, stating, “In what other job would you need a panic button?”
Sex workers, however, see the change as life-altering. Many, like Sophie, a mother of five, previously had to work throughout her pregnancies without support. “I couldn’t afford to stop because I needed the money,” she explained to the BBC.
For others like Mel, the law provides newfound empowerment. “I could have pointed the finger at my madam and said, ‘You’re violating these terms,’” she told NPR, reflecting on past experiences where she felt powerless.
Employers in the sex industry must meet strict requirements, such as maintaining clean and safe premises equipped with panic buttons and undergoing background checks to ensure no prior convictions for crimes like sexual assault or human trafficking.
Will Belgium’s new sex worker laws influence other nations?
Prostitution remains decriminalised in only a handful of countries, including New Zealand and the Netherlands, but Belgium’s approach to granting labour rights is a world first. Back in 2020, Spain’s sex industry made headlines as the government reinforced its contingency plan to expand protection to victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
While the debate on sex work continues globally, Belgium’s decision could pave the way for other nations to follow suit, offering dignity and safety to a historically marginalised workforce, which is said to be the oldest profession in the world.
