Sex work isn't merely legal in Belgium, it's now recognized as work.
The BBC has the story:
Belgium's sex workers get maternity leave and pensions under world-first law by Sofia Bettiza
"Under a new law in Belgium - the first of its kind in the world ... Sex workers will be entitled to official employment contracts, health insurance, pensions, maternity leave and sick days. Essentially, it will be treated like any other job.
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“There are tens of millions of sex workers worldwide. Sex work was decriminalised in Belgium in 2022 and is legal in several countries including Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey. But establishing employment rights and contracts is a global first.
“This is radical, and it’s the best step we have seen anywhere in the world so far,” says Erin Kilbride, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. “We need every country to be moving in that direction.”
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"Pimps who control sex work will be allowed to operate legally under the new law - provided they follow strict rules. Anyone who has been convicted of a serious crime will not be allowed to employ sex workers.
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"Under Belgium’s new law, each room where sexual services take place must be equipped with an alarm button that will connect a sex worker with their “reference person”.
"But Julia believes there is no way to make sex work safe.
“In what other job would you need a panic button? It’s not the oldest profession in the world, it’s the oldest exploitation in the world.”
"How to regulate the sex industry remains a divisive issue globally. But for Mel, bringing it out of the shadows can only help women. "
HT: Vincent Jappah
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