SEX workers in Belgium will gain the right to sign formal employment contracts and access labor rights similar to those in other professions, marking a historic legal shift hailed by many as a “revolution.”
The new law guarantees fundamental rights for sex workers, including the ability to refuse clients, choose their practices, and halt any act at any time. This follows Belgium’s 2022 decision to decriminalize sex work.
Under the new regulations, sex workers will be entitled to health insurance, paid leave, maternity benefits, unemployment support, and pensions.
The law also sets standards for working hours, pay, and safety, addressing longstanding gaps in legal protections for the industry.
“This is an incredible step forward,” said Isabelle Jaramillo, coordinator of Espace P, an advocacy group that helped draft the legislation. “It means their profession can finally be recognized as legitimate by the Belgian state.”
The law also represents a shift for employers, who will now need to apply for state authorization to hire sex workers. Previously, hiring a sex worker was treated as exploitation, even if the arrangement was consensual.
Employers must adhere to strict safety measures, including providing clean linens, condoms, and hygiene products, installing emergency buttons in workspaces, and ensuring no prior convictions for sexual assault or trafficking.
While independent sex work remains legal, violations of the new framework or third-party exploitation will be prosecuted.
Critics, however, warn that the law does not fully address the stigma or dangers faced by sex workers, particularly undocumented ones. “There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Jaramillo said, calling for better police and judicial training to safeguard marginalized workers.
Belgium’s reforms are considered among the most comprehensive labor protections for sex workers, surpassing similar laws in Germany and the Netherlands.