Belgium introduces law giving employment rights to sex workers

In a ‘revolutionary’ legal change, Belgium has passed a new law decriminalising sex work, a decision that the country had proposed back in 2022. Starting Sunday, the new law would enable Belgian sex workers to enter into official employment contracts and receive labor just like other professions.

It also grants sex workers fundamental rights, including the ability to refuse clients, choose their practices, and stop any act at any time. The new legislation establishes regulations on working hours, pay, and safety measures, filling a long-standing gap in legal protections for those in the industry.

Some of the benefits offered to sex workers under the new regulations are:

• Health insurance
• Paid leave
• Maternity benefits
• Unemployment support
• Pension

Isabelle Jaramillo, coordinator of Espace P, an advocacy group involved in drafting the legislation said, “This is an incredible step forward,” adding, “It means their profession can finally be recognized as legitimate by the Belgian state.”

Jaramillo stated that this decision will be a revolution, not only for sex workers but also from the employer’s perspective, as they will now be required to apply for state authorization in order to hire sex workers.

He said, “Under the previous legislation, hiring someone for sex work automatically made you a pimp, even if the arrangement was consensual,”

The new law also ensures the safety of sex workers by requiring employers to obtain authorization, comply with strict safety protocols, and meet background checks, including no prior convictions for sexual assault or human trafficking. They are also required to install emergency buttons in working spaces.

They also need to maintain hygiene standards by providing clean linens, condoms and hygiene products.

Independent sex work remains legal, but unregulated third-party hiring or violations of the legal framework will be subject to prosecution.

However, critics argue that the law cannot fully address the stigma and risks associated with the trade, particularly for undocumented sex workers.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” said Jaramillo, emphasizing the need for better police and judicial training to protect marginalized workers.

Neither Germany nor the Netherlands have implemented labor protections as comprehensive as Belgium’s, even though they have legalized sex work.