The Rada has taken a step towards strengthening the fight against sexual harassment of women in the Armed Forces
Kyiv • UNN
The Rada adopted in the first reading the law №13037, which strengthens the fight against sexual harassment in the Armed Forces. It defines mechanisms for preventing discrimination and violence.
The Verkhovna Rada approved in the first reading a bill to strengthen counteraction to sexual harassment of women in the Armed Forces.
This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, reports UNN.
Draft law No. 13037 was approved in the first reading - improving the mechanisms for ensuring military discipline, preventing and combating manifestations of discrimination and sexual harassment
According to him, 274 MPs voted for the basis. Zheleznyak stressed that the bill is aimed at strengthening military discipline by defining mechanisms for preventing and combating discrimination based on sex, sexual harassment, gender-based violence and offenses against sexual freedom/inviolability.
The MP reported that it is proposed:
- to supplement the content of the concept of military discipline with a provision that it is achieved, among other things, by ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men, preventing any manifestations of discrimination and combating gender-based violence, sexual harassment, offenses against sexual freedom/inviolability;
- to establish the obligation of every serviceman not to allow unworthy actions (verbal or non-verbal) related to discrimination;
- to establish the obligation of the commander to immediately respond to offenses against sexual freedom and sexual inviolability (the commander is obliged to take measures to detain a subordinate when committing or attempting to commit a crime;
- offenses or immediately after committing a criminal offense against sexual freedom and sexual inviolability);
- to introduce a new ground for removing a serviceman from the performance of official duties - if the failure (improper performance) by the serviceman of official duties led to the commission of an offense against sexual freedom and sexual inviolability;
- in order to establish the causes and conditions that contributed to the commission of these offenses, an official investigation must be appointed by the commander independently or by the commander upon submission of a representative of the authorized unit or an official on ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men, preventing and combating discrimination and gender-based violence, sexual harassment, offenses against sexual freedom and sexual inviolability;
- a serviceman who reported an incident of discrimination cannot be held disciplinary liable in connection with such a report or subjected to other negative measures (if the consideration of such measures is not related to facts that are not due to detection in the service);
- servicemen are given the opportunity to submit applications/complaints or personally contact officials, military authorities, law enforcement agencies, law enforcement service authorities, bodies conducting pre-trial investigations, and other state authorities, including in violation of the requirements of subordination, on ensuring equal rights and opportunities, discrimination and violence and combating discrimination based on sex, religion, nationality and other grounds.