Belgium has become the first country in the world to grant sex workers formal employment contracts, which provides them access to the same social benefits as other professions. This landmark legislation represents a shift in how governments can address sex work, not by stigmatizing it but by safeguarding the rights and dignity of the workers. Other countries should follow Belgium’s example, recognizing that decriminalization and robust labor protections are practical and humane approaches to the issue.

The law, which builds on Belgium’s 2022 decision to decriminalize sex work, offers protections such as sick leave, maternity pay, pensions, unemployment benefits, health insurance and annual vacations.

It also enforces workplace safety measures, including clean environments and panic buttons. Employers are now required to meet strict background checks, ensuring they have no history of trafficking, violence or fraud.

Belgium’s previous 2022 decision was a historic move in and of itself. It removed the barriers that were forcing sex workers to remain underground, exposing them to an increased chance of exploitation and violence. However, without formal labor rights, many sex workers were still vulnerable to abuse, lacked access to social benefits and faced challenges like working through pregnancies or past retirement age due to economic necessity.

The new law addresses these gaps by granting sex workers the same legal protections as other employees. They can now refuse clients, decline specific acts or stop services without fear of retaliation. This law ensures that ongoing and specific consent remains central to their work, a necessary and critical safeguard against exploitation.

Treating sex work as legitimate labor acknowledges the reality that it has always and will always exist.

As Daan Bauwens of UTSOPI, a Belgian sex worker union, pointed out to CBS News, denying sex workers basic labor rights only compounds their hardships.

Many are driven to the profession by economic necessity, discrimination or lack of alternatives. Denying them pensions, maternity leave or workplace protections serves no one but the moral sensitivities of those who have no stake in the matter.

Belgium’s approach offers a blueprint for other nations grappling with the challenges of regulating sex work. Decriminalization alone, as seen in places like New Zealand and parts of Australia, often leaves workers in a legal gray area. Providing full labor protections, as Belgium has done, offers sex workers a pathway to safer conditions and economic security while reducing their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse.

In countries where sex work remains criminalized, workers face legal risks, stigma and barriers to accessing healthcare, housing and financial services.

The Belgian model demonstrates how integrating sex work into the formal economy can mitigate these risks, providing sex workers with dignity and agency while enabling governments to regulate and monitor the industry more effectively.

Belgium still has some hurdles to overcome. The law applies only to workers with formal employment contracts, leaving out independent sex workers and undocumented migrants. To serve a broader community, it would need to be expanded beyond these few. However, this is a first step in the right direction that no other country has been able to achieve yet.

With this legislation, Belgium has made the statement to the world that they are willing to treat their sex worker citizens like any other citizen and protect their basic human rights.

More countries should use Belgium as a model. Criminalizing and stigmatizing only ostracize those who are already vulnerable. By enhancing labor protections, governments can attract more citizens and serve their populations as they are supposed to do.