Nine civil society organisations have gone to the Constitutional Court to annul Belgium's flagship labour law for sex workers.
As of 1 December 2024, sex workers in Belgium under an employment contract, giving them access to social security. Belgium is the first country in the world to pass a law of this kind.
On Wednesday, nine civil society organisations filed a case to have the law annulled. The signatories say the legislation encourages abuse.
"Although the intention was to limit abuse and provide a framework for this 'activity' is to be welcomed, it is difficult to endorse this law when it concerns the whitewashing of an activity based on the sexual slavery of women," says Mireia Crespo, director of the Brussels non-profit organization Isala.
Under the law, "the pimp becomes a recognised business leader," Crespo said, denouncing "a clear step backwards for women's rights: legitimising their sexual exploitation by 'clients' and pimps, without putting an end to the violence inherent in this recognised 'profession'."
No consensus
Isala believes it is "naive" to argue that the law would provide better labour rights. "You have to be particularly naive about the workings of brothels, where the 'customer' is king and the pimp is often involved in fraud and corruption, to believe for one second that vulnerable women, strangled by insecurity, could stand up for their labour rights."
However, Utsopi, an association for independent sex workers, disagrees with Isala’s interpretation.
"An employment contract remains the best protection against exploitation," stated Utopsi spokesperson Daan Bauwens.
