Belgium Grants Sex Workers Maternity Leave, Pension Rights in Historic Law

Belgium has enacted a groundbreaking law granting sex workers the same employment rights as other professions, including maternity leave, pensions, and workplace protections. The legislation, signed into law on Sunday, ensures sex workers are formally recognized as employees, providing access to critical benefits and legal safeguards.

The move follows widespread protests in 2022, fueled by the lack of government support for sex workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Advocates hailed the decision as a historic shift, offering unprecedented legal recognition and protection for sex workers, a first globally.

The law also empowers sex workers with the right to refuse clients, decline specific acts, or stop an act at any time. Employers in the sector must comply with stringent standards, including maintaining a business address in Belgium, demonstrating good character, and ensuring safe and hygienic work environments. Requirements include the provision of panic buttons, clean linen, showers, and condoms at workplaces.

The Belgian Union of Sex Workers praised the reform as a “huge step forward” in ending legal discrimination. Sophie, a sex worker in Belgium, described the law as an “opportunity for us to exist as people,” according to an interview with the BBC.

Erin Kilbride of Human Rights Watch emphasized the significance of the legislation, calling it “radical” and urging other nations, including those in Africa, to consider similar reforms. “This is the best step we have seen anywhere in the world so far,” she stated, underscoring the law’s global implications.