For the first time in the world, it has been announced to give many rights to sex workers in Belgium including maternity leave, pension, health insurance and sick leave. According to BBC, under this law, an attempt has been made to give employment and security to sex workers like other employees. This law has come into force from December 1. Sex work was decriminalized in Belgium in the year 2022. Since then, there was a demand for giving many rights including security, employment, health to sex workers in the country. Now under the new law in Belgium, sex workers cannot be fired for refusing sex or taking leave. Victoria, President of the Belgian Union of Sex Workers, said – If there is no law and your job is illegal, then there is no protocol to help you. Now the new law will provide security to sex workers. Human rights activists have praised this law. Erin Kilbride of Human Rights Watch said – This is a revolutionary step. This is the best step taken worldwide for the protection of sex workers. Rules for sex work will have to be followed Under the new law, sex workers will get employment contracts. Apart from this, rules related to working hours and safety of the workplace will have to be followed. Every room where sex work will take place should be clean. Apart from this, an alarm will have to be installed there which will be connected to the worker’s reference person. Under the new law, brokers controlling sex trade are legally allowed to work, but they will have to follow strict rules. A person convicted in cases like human trafficking, sexual harassment, fraud will not be allowed to keep a sex worker. What rights will the law give? This law will give sex workers the same security and rights as other employees. Sex workers can refuse customers, set conditions for the act and stop the act at any time. For this, they cannot be fired from the job. Workers can also resign whenever they want without any notice. Prostitution has got legal status in these countries Germany Prostitution is a legal profession in Germany too. All sex workers here are required to have a tax ID number, because like any other employee, they too have to pay tax on their income. However, there are strict rules to control prostitution. In some cities of Germany, sex workers are not allowed to stand on the streets to look for customers. France Prostitution is legal in France. However, a new law was implemented in 2014 under which paying for sex is a crime. For doing so, customers can be fined Rs 2 to 4 lakh. Greece Prostitution is a legal profession in Greece too. Like others, sex workers also have to get their medical insurance. Turkey Prostitution is a legal profession here too. It is mandatory for sex workers to register themselves and get an ID card. Britain Sex workers have rights in Britain too. Some rules have been changed over time due to opposition from NGOs. For example, driving slowly in a red light area in search of a sex worker is not allowed. Spain In Spain, it is a crime to force someone into prostitution or to profit from it. A person can join this profession of his own free will. Here also, prostitution is a legal profession. Mexico and Brazil Prostitution is allowed in almost all Latin American countries. Although running a sex racket is a crime in a planned manner, it is still common here. New Zealand and Australia While prostitution is allowed throughout New Zealand, different laws are different in different parts of neighbouring Australia. In New Zealand, this trade has been legal for adults since the law was changed in 2003. Netherlands Amsterdam’s red light area is probably the most famous part of the prostitution business in the world. Unlike other countries, where people go to the red light area secretly, tourists in Amsterdam come especially to see this area. America Prostitution is illegal in most states of America except Nevada. Nevada is the only state in America where prostitution has been given legal recognition. However, prostitution is also illegal in many counties of Nevada.
