Belgium has enacted a law that grants sex workers the same rights and protections as other workers.
The legislation, signed into law on Sunday, ensures that sex workers are entitled to maternity leave, pensions, and legal safeguards against exploitation.
This decision followed widespread protests in 2022, during which sex workers demanded state support after being excluded from government assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the new law, sex workers are granted the right to refuse clients, decline specific acts, or stop an act at any point.
Employers are also required to meet stringent standards, including maintaining hygienic premises, installing panic buttons, and ensuring the availability of clean linens and other necessities.
The Belgian Union of Sex Workers has praised the legislation, calling it a major step toward ending discrimination against their profession.
The union said the law is “a huge step forward, ending legal discrimination against sex workers”.
International organisations, such as Human Rights Watch, have commended Belgium’s progressive stance, urging other nations to adopt similar measures.
Erin Kilbride, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the law should be emulated by every country in the world.
“This is radical, and it’s the best step we have seen anywhere in the world so far. We need every country to be moving in that direction,” he said.
“This is an opportunity for us to exist as people,” said Sophie, a sex worker in Belgium, told BBC.
