It might be considered the “world’s oldest profession,” but treating sex work as a real profession is very new. On Sunday, Dec. 1, Belgium became the first country in the world to decree sex work must be treated like any other job, meaning official employment contracts, health insurance, pensions, maternity leave and sick days.
It’s estimated there are tens of millions of sex workers worldwide. Sex work is legal in some places, like Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey, and it was decriminalized in Belgium in 2022, but this is the first time ever sex workers have been entitled to employment rights and contracts.
The new law also guarantees fundamental rights for sex workers, like the ability to refuse clients, set the conditions of an act and stop an act at any moment. In addition, it establishes rules on working hours, pay and safety measures.
Critics say the law won’t prevent trafficking, exploitation and abuse, especially since independent sex work is still allowed. They also say it won’t remove the stigma and other risks around such work.
Still, advocates hail the move as a big step forward in sex work being recognized as a legitimate profession.
