'Radical' law | Belgium's sex workers secure maternity leave, sick pay & employment rights

Sex workers in Belgium have become the world’s first to secure employment rights including maternity leave, sick pay, and pension entitlements.

The law came into effect on Sunday, 1 December, protecting workers against exploitative and abusive employers and offering them better safety provisions.

Sex work was decriminalised in Belgium in 2022, joining other countries including Germany and the Netherlands; but Belgium has become the first country in the world to offer such extensive protections and employment rights.

The Belgian Union of Sex Workers said the landmark legislation is “a huge step forward” in the battle to “end legal discrimination against sex workers.”