Workers in the sex industry in Belgium are now entitled to job benefits and protections
In a groundbreaking move, Belgium has become the first country in Europe to fully decriminalize sex work and provide labour rights and protections to sex workers, following its 2022 decision.
The new law, passed in December 2022, grants sex workers fundamental rights, including access to pensions, unemployment, health insurance, family benefits, annual vacation, and maternity leave. Sex workers are also given the ability to refuse clients, set the conditions of, and stop an act at any moment.
Sex workers in Belgium are required to ensure their premises are clean, sanitary, and equipped with an emergency button. Employers in the sex industry are prohibited from dismissing an employee who refuses a client. However, it's important to note that those who perform pornography or striptease are not covered by the law.
Employers in the sex industry must obtain authorization and meet background requirements, such as having no prior convictions for sexual assault, human trafficking, or fraud.
The Netherlands, some parts of Australia, and New Zealand are among the few places where prostitution has been decriminalized, along with Belgium. New Zealand, although outside Europe, is often cited as a benchmark where sex work is decriminalized and labor protections are in place for sex workers.
Other European countries have different legal models. Sweden, Norway, and France have criminalized the buying of sex (the Nordic model), focusing on reducing prostitution and criminalizing clients rather than sex workers themselves. These do not fully decriminalize sex work but shift criminality mostly onto clients, aiming to reduce exploitation and trafficking.
Other countries like Spain have not fully decriminalized or legalized sex work but criminalize activities around it like pimping; sex worker rights groups advocate there but comprehensive labor protections are lacking or limited.
Advocacy groups including Amnesty International and feminist perspectives argue for full decriminalization to provide sex workers with the rights and protections afforded to other workers, thus reducing stigma, police abuse, and enabling safer working conditions.
It's worth noting that the new law in Belgium does not specify whether it applies to sex workers who offer their services online or through digital platforms.
In conclusion, Belgium stands out as a European country actively providing labour rights to sex workers following full decriminalization. The movement in Europe is mixed, with advocacy calling for more comprehensive decriminalization and labour rights to improve sex workers' working conditions and safety.
Sources:
[1] Nordic Model Now! (n.d.). [About the Nordic Model]. Retrieved from https://nordicmodelnow.org/about-the-nordic-model/
[2] Amnesty International (2016). [Decriminalizing Sex Work: Facts, Arguments, and the Evidence]. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur60/6135/2016/en/
[3] Evangelical Focus - Europe (2022). [Belgium passes law granting labour rights to sex workers]. Retrieved from https://europe.evangelicalfocus.com/belgium-passes-law-granting-labour-rights-to-sex-workers/
[4] Human Rights Watch (2015). [The Nordic Model: A Human Rights Approach to Prostitution?]. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/06/09/nordic-model-human-rights-approach-prostitution/human-rights-approach-prostitution
[5] Open Society Foundations (n.d.). [Prostitution Laws in Europe]. Retrieved from https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/prostitution-laws-europe
- The policy-and-legislation move in Belgium for decriminalizing sex work and providing labor rights has sparked interest in the realm of workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness for sex workers, with advocacy groups such as Amnesty International and others promoting full decriminalization to improve working conditions and safety.
- As more countries consider policy-and-legislation surrounding sex work, Belgium's new law serves as an example of a comprehensive approach that includes granting access to health insurance, annual vacation, maternity leave, and more, demonstrating the importance of this issue in general-news discussions.
- With Belgium's full decriminalization of sex work, it sets a precedent for other European countries to consider similar policy-and-legislation efforts, acknowledging the importance of sexual-health, workplace-wellness, and labor rights for sex workers in this industry.
