The Verkhovna Rada adopted a draft law on the protection of women’s rights in the Armed Forces of Ukraine
On April 30, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading a bill aimed at strengthening the fight against discrimination based on sex, gender inequality, sexual harassment of women in the ranks of the Armed Forces, and sexual violence against them, which, as noted, are not isolated cases. About this informs People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
It is about draft law No. 13037 “On Amendments to the Disciplinary Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Statute of the Internal Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine regarding the improvement of mechanisms for ensuring military discipline, preventing and countering manifestations of discrimination and sexual harassment.” The document aims to increase the effectiveness of the actions of the command and the entire military environment in the field of preventing and countering manifestations of discrimination, in particular of a sexual nature.
The need for this bill was extremely urgent because, despite the fact that approximately 60,000 women currently serve in the Armed Forces, many of them face prejudice or violence that often goes unreported.
Draft Law No. 13037 proposes to amend the definition of military discipline, which will now include ensuring the equal rights of women and men, as well as combating discrimination. It enshrines the duty of every serviceman not to allow inappropriate actions, both verbal and non-verbal, related to discrimination or harassment.
It is stipulated that commanders must immediately respond to offenses of this nature, in particular, detain subordinates who commit them. In the event of such violations, a new basis appears for removing a serviceman from duty.
The official investigation procedure will also undergo changes: the commander will have an updated mechanism for his appointment, and the composition of the commission that will consider such cases will be supplemented by a mandatory representative of the authorized unit or a responsible official for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women, as well as a psychologist of the military administration body.
An important innovation concerns the protection of those who report possible facts of harassment or violence. The law guarantees that such persons may not be subject to disciplinary action for the mere fact of reporting, subjected to other forms of pressure or threats, and may not be dismissed or forced to resign from service.
