MPs Want To Impose Fine Of More Than UAH 1,000 For Sexual Harassment. What Will Be Considered Offence

16 Members of Parliament propose to the parliament to introduce administrative liability with a fine of up to UAH 1,200 for sexual harassment.

This is stated in bill 8329, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

According to it, sexual harassment is actions of a sexual nature that did not cause bodily harm, expressed verbally (threats, intimidation, obscene remarks), non-verbally (gestures, body movements) or physically (touching, patting), the purpose or effect of which is humiliation persons, in particular by creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating or offensive environment, and not related to penetration into the body of another person, including persons who are in labor, service, material or other subordinate relationships.

Committing sexual harassment will entail the imposition of a fine of UAH 340-850 (20-50 of the tax-free minimum income of citizens) or community service for a period from 12 to 13 hours.

If the offense is committed against a person who is in a labor, official, material or other subordinate relationship, then the fine will be from UAH 850 to UAH 1,190 (50-70 of the tax-free minimum income of citizens) or community service for a period from 30 to 40 hours.

The relevant amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses are explained by bringing the norms into line with the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Geneva Convention), which has been ratified in Ukraine.

Among the authors of the bill: MPs from the Servant of the People faction, Halyna Mykhailiuk and Maryna Bardina, and deputy head of the faction of the same name, Yevheniya Kravchuk, and MP from the Holos faction, Inna Sovsun.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in June, the Verkhovna Rada ratified the Istanbul Convention.