Belgium has made history by introducing a groundbreaking law that grants sex workers the same labor rights as any other profession, including health insurance, pensions, maternity leave, and sick days. This unprecedented legislation seeks to bring sex work out of the shadows and ensure protections for workers who have long faced stigma, unsafe conditions, and lack of legal recourse.
A Life of Struggles
For Sophie, a sex worker and mother of five, the new law is a lifeline. “I had to work while I was nine months pregnant,” she recounts. “I was having sex with clients one week before giving birth.” Despite needing bed rest after a Caesarean section, Sophie returned to work immediately because she couldn’t afford to stop.
Now, with the new law in place, she and others like her will have access to maternity leave, paid by their employers. “It’s an opportunity for us to exist as people,” Sophie says, reflecting on the significant changes the legislation will bring to her life.
A Global First
Belgium decriminalized sex work in 2022, joining a list of countries like Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands where the practice is legal. However, the introduction of employment rights and contracts is a global first. Erin Kilbride of Human Rights Watch calls the move “radical” and the best step forward globally. “We need every country to be moving in that direction,” she adds.
Persistent Challenges
While the new law marks significant progress, critics argue it doesn’t address underlying issues of trafficking and exploitation. Julia Crumière, a volunteer with a Belgian NGO that supports street-based sex workers, is skeptical. “It normalizes a profession that is always violent at its core,” she says.
Mel, a sex worker, recalls a harrowing experience when she was forced to perform without protection despite knowing an STI was spreading in the brothel. “My choice was either to spread the disease or make no money,” she explains. Under the new law, Mel would have the right to refuse clients or acts she finds unsafe, with legal protections to back her decisions.
Fighting for Recognition
The law’s introduction followed months of protests in 2022, led by the Belgian Union of Sex Workers (UTSOPI). Victoria, UTSOPI’s president and a former escort, describes sex work as more than just physical intimacy. “It’s giving people attention, listening to their stories, eating cake with them, dancing to waltz music,” she explains. However, the illegality of her work before 2022 meant unsafe conditions and no choice over her clients.
Victoria herself was a victim of sexual violence at the hands of a client and faced discrimination when reporting the incident. “A police officer told me sex workers can’t be raped,” she says. With the new law, she believes sex workers will finally have the tools to protect themselves. “If there is no law and your job is illegal, there are no protocols to help you,” she emphasizes.
Regulating the Industry
The legislation also imposes strict rules on employers, including background checks to bar those with criminal records. Kris and Alexandra, who run a massage parlor employing 15 sex workers, hope the new rules will eliminate exploitative operators. “I hope the bad employers will be shut out, and the good people who want to do this profession honestly will stay,” Kris says.
Each workspace is now required to have safety measures, including panic buttons that connect sex workers to a designated support person. However, critics like Julia argue that such measures highlight the inherent risks of the profession. “In what other job would you need a panic button?” she asks.
A Divisive Debate
The question of how to regulate sex work remains contentious. While advocates see the new law as a vital step toward dignity and safety, opponents argue that it legitimizes exploitation. For many sex workers like Mel, however, the law is a beacon of hope.
“I am very proud that Belgium is so far ahead,” she says. “I have a future now.”
Courtesy: BBC World News
