Belgium authorizes sex workers' operations
Taking Sex Work to the Next Level in Antwerp, Belgium
In the heart of the sailors' quarter, nestled amidst the vibrant, neon-lit windows of sex workers in Antwerp's iconic Villa Tinto complex, sits a symbol of progress—a police station. This sanctuary represents Belgium's efforts to make sex work safer, with laws that rank it among Europe's most tolerant, despite ongoing issues with abuse and exploitation.
Photo: Reuters
Inside Villa Tinto, the atmosphere is more intimate than menacing, showcasing the personal realm of Kiana, a 32-year-old sex worker who's had enough of keeping her profession under wraps. As she gives us a tour of her dimly lit, red-bathed workspace—complete with an array of sado-masochistic accessories—she shares her thoughts.
"I'm no damsel in distress," she says emphatically. "I chose this line of work, and I enjoy it."
Kiana, who prefers anonymity, left her home in Romania at eighteen and traversed through Germany before settling in Belgium. Here, she's one of the 51 display window renters in Villa Tinto, where she operates five days a week.
"My folks are aware of what I do," she says with a nonchalant shrug. "For the others, I'm a nail artist and tattooist."
Photo: Reuters
Enter "Mel," another sex worker and TikTok sensation. Mel, whose legal name is unknown, uses social media to open up about her work, stepping out of the shadows that once concealed her profession from societal scrutiny. "I was fed up with lying about my job and pretending to be a hairdresser or masseuse," she shared.
Belgium's policy shift in 2022 emphasizes treating sex work as a legitimate profession, loosening advertising regulations for adults involved. This includes reducing legal risk for both workers and third parties, such as bankers, designers, and property owners.
"We, as sex workers, have been recognized as legitimate workers by the state, and public opinion has changed," says Meliciousss, a local Antwerp resident.
SHIFTING PERCEPTIONS, STILL LINGERING SHAME
Belgian law now permits adults, provided they operate within designated locations, to advertise their own "sexual services." Those who engage in pimping or child prostitution remain criminal offenses.
However, shadowy aspects of the profession persist. Colossal organizations dedicated to combatting human trafficking find instances of exploitation widespread, with many sex workers bound by financial pressure, addiction, or the manipulation of traffickers.
Despite the reforms, dangers like the one exposed in March—a criminal network suspected of sexually exploiting over 30 Chinese women—endure. Seven Chinese suspects were apprehended.
FINDING FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE
An alarming number of women are sent to Belgium without the necessary residence permits, forced to practice their trade covertly and falling prey to blackmail, according to Belgian legal expert Charles-Eric Clesse. "Nearly 90% of prostitutes of African origin are victims of trafficking," he explains.
The public discourse has intensified since the law's enactment in December, allowing sex workers to establish employment contracts with approved employers. This shift offers more labor rights, such as health insurance, than self-employed status.
However, only three employment contracts have been submitted since then, according to the labor ministry. The courts are currently reviewing the applications to ensure the employers' backgrounds and criminal records are satisfactory.
In corporate spaces, the Isala association has advocated for the law's repeal, claiming it encourages pimping and reduces women's autonomy. Villa Tinto, for one, refuses to entertain the notion of employment contracts, believing its workers enjoy a sense of independence and autonomy.
"The sex workers who work here, they are very free and independent," says Karin Vander Elst, the owner of Villa Tinto. "They work when they want. They choose their own clients. They take holidays when they want." Introducing employment contracts, she feels, could complicate these arrangements and leave both workers and management dissatisfied.
- Kiana, working in Antwerp's Villa Tinto complex, expresses her satisfaction with Belgium's efforts to make sex work safer.
- Despite the progress, issues of abuse and exploitation persist in Belgium's sex industry.
- Mel, a sex worker and TikTok phenomenon, uses social media to shed light on her profession and challenge societal stigmas.
- In 2022, Belgium loosened advertising regulations for adults involved in sex work, recognizing it as a legitimate profession.
- This policy shift aims to reduce legal risk for both sex workers and third parties, such as bankers, designers, and property owners.
- Despite the legal recognition, shadowy aspects of the profession still exist, with many sex workers facing financial pressure, addiction, or trafficking.
- In March, a criminal network suspected of sexually exploiting over 30 Chinese women was exposed in Belgium.
- Many women sent to Belgium lack the necessary residence permits, making them easy targets for blackmail and trafficking.
- The public discourse intensified after the law's enactment in December, allowing sex workers to establish employment contracts with approved employers.
- However, only three employment contracts have been submitted since then, with the courts currently reviewing the applications.
- The Isala association advocates for the law's repeal, claiming it encourages pimping and reduces women's autonomy.
- Villa Tinto, on the other hand, believes the current arrangements offer its workers a sense of independence and autonomy.
- Karin Vander Elst, owner of Villa Tinto, fears that introducing employment contracts could complicate the current work arrangements and leave both workers and management dissatisfied.
- The conversations around sex work, personal-finance, and business intersect with general-news, politics, crime-and-justice, social-media, entertainment, and even sports, as the European leagues and the Premier League continue to attract attention.
