Belgium has become the first country in the world to grant sex workers the same rights as workers in any other sector.
On December 1, a law came into force in the country that gives men and women who work in prostitution the right to conclude employment contracts with their employers. Such agreements provide for social security and health insurance for the worker.
For the first time in history, sex workers will be entitled to sick leave, maternity benefits and pensions. In addition, sex workers will now be able to set the amount of remuneration for their work, as well as regulate the length of the working day. At the same time, the conclusion of an employment contract guarantees the worker the right to leave work at any time, as well as to refuse to fulfil an order without the threat of being fired.
However, as experts point out, so far the effect of this law is rather limited. It applies only to employees and female employees of intimate service parlours with controlled access to the entrance. Street prostitution is not covered by the law.
Belgium started the process of decriminalising prostitution in 2022. It became the second country in the world after New Zealand to take such a step, Euronews notes. The TV channel reported in the summer that there are 3-20 thousand prostitutes in Belgium, mostly they came from the eastern part of the European Union, as well as from Africa and South America.
