Belgium Becomes 1st Nation To Give Sex Workers Maternity Leave And Pensions

In a historic move, Belgium has become the first country in the world to grant sex workers formal employment rights, including maternity leave, pensions, health insurance, and other social benefits. Under this landmark legislation, sex work will be treated like any other profession, marking a significant shift in how governments address and regulate the industry.

Equal Benefits and Protections

This new law builds on Belgium's 2022 decision to decriminalise sex work. It introduces a host of protections, including:

• Maternity Leave and Pensions: Ensuring sex workers can access benefits typically reserved for other professions.
• Sick Days and Unemployment Benefits: Workers can now take time off for health reasons without jeopardising their income.
• Health Insurance and Annual Leave: Providing financial and medical security.
• Workplace Safety: Enforcing clean environments and panic buttons to protect workers.

Employers are subject to strict background checks to ensure no involvement in trafficking, violence, or fraud. Additionally, sex workers can now exercise full control over their services, including the right to refuse clients or specific acts without fear of retaliation.

Addressing Vulnerabilities: From Stigma to Dignity

Before this legislation, sex workers in Belgium faced numerous challenges, including exploitation, lack of access to social benefits, and economic insecurity. 

Despite decriminalization in 2022, the absence of labour rights left sex workers vulnerable to abuse, forcing many to work through pregnancies or beyond retirement due to financial necessity. By granting formal labour rights, Belgium ensures that consent remains central to sex work, safeguarding workers from coercion and exploitation.

As Daan Bauwens from the Belgian sex worker union UTSOPI emphasised, denying sex workers basic rights only worsens their hardships, especially for those driven to the profession by economic necessity or discrimination.

Global Implications: A Model for Humane Regulation

Belgium's approach offers a practical and compassionate framework for other countries grappling with sex work regulation.

While decriminalization alone has been adopted in countries like New Zealand and parts of Australia, it often leaves workers in a legal gray area. Belgium’s model demonstrates how integrating sex work into the formal economy can provide dignity, safety, and economic security.

Formal labor protections minimize vulnerabilities to abuse and trafficking, enabling governments to monitor and regulate the industry effectively.

Challenges and Future Steps

While the law is groundbreaking, it does have limitations. The legislation applies only to those with formal employment contracts, leaving out independent sex workers and undocumented migrants. To fully protect all workers in the industry, the law must be expanded to include these groups.

Despite these challenges, Belgium’s legislation is a significant first step, showcasing a commitment to protecting the basic human rights of sex workers.

A Call to Action for Other Nations

By treating sex work as legitimate labor, Belgium has set an example for the world. This law not only protects workers' rights but also acknowledges the realities of an industry that has long existed in the shadows. Criminalization and stigma serve only to ostracize vulnerable populations, while comprehensive labor protections offer dignity, agency, and safety.