Belgium Grants Sex Workers Maternity Leave, Pensions in World-First Law

Dec 1, 2024, 11:18 AM

Belgium has become the first country in the world to grant sex workers full employment rights, including maternity leave, pensions, health insurance, sick days, and the ability to sign employment contracts. This landmark legislation follows a 2022 decision to decriminalize sex work, aiming to provide legal protections and benefits to sex workers. The new law allows sex workers to access benefits such as paid leave, sick days, and retirement pensions, which were previously unavailable to them. The move is seen as a significant step towards recognizing sex work as a legitimate profession, with one sex worker recounting the hardship of having to work while nine months pregnant.