'Maternity Leave, Pensions': Belgium Becomes First Country To Recognise Rights Of Sex Workers

Last Updated:December 02, 2024, 09:13 IST

Belgium decriminalised sex work in 2022, joining other countries which took a similar step, including Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey.

The protests in support for labour laws for sex workers in 2022 | Image/Facebook@UTSOPI

Belgium introduced a new law, the first of its kind globally, recognising the rights of sex workers and granting them access to health insurance, pensions, maternity leave, and sick days, just like any other profession.

Belgium decriminalised sex work in 2022, joining other countries which took a similar step, including Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey. However, establishing employment rights and contracts for sex workers is world-first.

“This is radical, and it’s the best step we have seen anywhere in the world so far. We need every country to be moving in that direction," Erin Kilbride, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, was quoted as saying by BBC.

Sex Workers Hail New Law

The sex workers across Belgium, for whom the job is a necessity, hailed the new law and shared their struggle from the past when such legislation didn’t exist.

“It’s an opportunity for us to exist as people," said Sophie, a sex worker and a mother of five who was left with no option but to continue work during the ninth month of her pregnancy due to financial pressures, reported BBC.

“I couldn’t afford to stop because I needed the money," said Sophie, adding that her life would have been much easier had she had a right to maternity leave, paid by her employer.

Emphasising significance of the new law, Victoria, president of the Belgian Union of Sex Workers (UTSOPI), said, “If there is no law and your job is illegal, there are no protocols to help you. This law gives people the tools to make us safer."

Victoria, who served as an escort for 12 years, said before 2022 when sex work was illegal, she found herself in unsafe conditions, with no choice over her clients and her agency taking a big cut of her earnings.

Recalling her struggles, Victoria told BBC that she was once raped by a client. The situation turned drastic when she went to the police to report the incident. “She (the lady police officer) told me sex workers can’t be raped. She made me feel it was my fault because I did that job," Victoria said, adding that she left the station crying.

Belgium’s landmark legislation took shape after 2022 protests that were sparked by the lack of state support for sex workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will come into effect on December 1, recognising the rights of sex workers.

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News world 'Maternity Leave, Pensions': Belgium Becomes First Country To Recognise Rights Of Sex Workers