“Sex work is work!” a slogan carried by sex work militants for years, has found an unprecedented legislative translation in Belgium. Since December 1, 2024, sex workers have been able to benefit from employment contracts, social protection, and maternity leave, legislation long demanded by those concerned and their collectives, and which constitutes a world first. This photo report highlights a generation of sex workers who openly claim their profession, like Mel, who has become a widely followed figure on social media. In Antwerp, in the historic sailors’ district by the port, the Villa Tinto brings together red-neon-lit windows equipped with alarm buttons connected to a police station located at the heart of the premises.
“I am not a victim. I chose to be here and I like what I do,” says Kiana, 32, behind her window.
But this legal recognition does not encompass all realities of sex work, a large portion of which remains carried out clandestinely, marked by precarity and human trafficking.

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Story published on Agence France Presse