If You Do Sex Work, You Get Unemployment Benefits; If You Retire, You Get a Pension... "Why Are We the World's First?" A Country in Uproar

Belgium Implements World's First Sex Workers' Rights Protection Law
Formal Employment Contracts and Various Welfare Benefits Guaranteed
"Prevent Abuse and Exploitation" vs "Justifying a Violent Profession"

Belgium is expected to significantly strengthen the rights and welfare of sex workers as it becomes the first country in the world to implement laws protecting the rights of sex workers. Pixabay

"Taking a Break from Prostitution? Please Claim Unemployment Benefits"

Belgium has become the first country in the world to legally guarantee the rights of sex workers to maternity leave, sick leave, and pensions. As a result, the rights and welfare of sex workers are expected to be significantly strengthened.

On the 1st (local time), the Associated Press reported that "the Belgian government has enacted a law protecting sex workers' rights." This legislation follows the legalization of sex work in 2022 and grants sex workers labor rights equivalent to those of other professions. Under the new law, sex workers can enter into formal employment contracts and are guaranteed basic rights such as the right to refuse clients and to stop sexual activities. Additionally, they will be entitled to various welfare benefits including health insurance, paid leave, maternity benefits, unemployment support, and pensions.

"Helps Crack Down on Abuse and Exploitation" vs. "Justifies a Violent Profession"

The Belgian Sex Workers' Union hailed the law as a "major advancement ending legal discrimination against sex workers," stating it will aid in cracking down on abuse and exploitation. Erin Kilbride, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, described the law as "radical" in an interview with the BBC, praising it as "the best measure ever seen anywhere in the world. Every country should move in this direction."

However, criticism of the legislation has also emerged. Local feminist groups have condemned it as "disastrous for underage girls and victims of human trafficking." Julia Crumier, a volunteer at 'Isala,' a Belgian charity supporting sex workers, called it "normalizing a violent profession" and warned that it is "very dangerous."

Belgium legalized prostitution in 2022. While some countries such as Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, and T?rkiye have also legalized sex work, none have established as comprehensive a legal framework protecting sex workers as Belgium has.