The decision is hailed as “a huge step forward”. Passed in May, a law that came into force this Sunday in Belgium grants sex workers the right to sick leave, maternity pay and a retirement pension, a world first. The profession will thus benefit from real employment contracts, supervised by the authorities, reports the Belgian press, including RTL Info.
Belgium had already made headlines by decriminalizing prostitution and allowing sex workers to benefit from independent status in 2022. This time, it allows them to benefit from the same rights and social protections as other employees in the country. A notable step forward, voted with the aim of combating the abuse and exploitation inherent to the profession when it is not strictly regulated.
Until now, sex workers were in a gray area: they were recognized as such by the state, but did not benefit from any social protection. Under the law, they will not only be able to enjoy the same rights as other workers, but also refuse sexual partners, refuse to perform certain practices and terminate their work at any time. They cannot be fired for these refusals either.
For their part, employers must now be of “good moral character” and have professional residence in Belgium. They will also have to ensure that their premises are equipped with emergency buttons allowing sex workers to report a risky situation, a supply of clean linen, showers and condoms.
The Belgian Union of Sex Workers described the law as “a huge step forward, ending legal discrimination against sex workers.” But several gray areas remain: the new legislation does not regulate striptease, working from home, or street work.
“For street work, this remains at the discretion of the municipal authorities, so here too, we will have to work with the municipalities, because they sometimes have such repressive policies that it pushes the people who work underground,” indicates Isabelle. Jaramillo, coordinator of the ASBL Espace P, to our colleagues at RTL Info. “And clandestinity is the door open to all abuses, including exploitation and trafficking of human beings,” she emphasizes.
