Ukraine adopts a bill that provides fines for sexual harassment on the Internet

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law No. 8329, which provides for a fine of 1360 to 2720 hryvnias and other penalties for sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence, including on the Internet. This was reported by UP.Life with reference to the website of the Verkhovna Rada.

The law was adopted on May 22, 2024. It is related to the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, an international agreement aimed at combating violence against women and domestic violence. The Convention is one of the key points for Ukraine’s EU membership.

The law states that, in addition to the aforementioned fine, sexual harassment, including online, can also be punished with 20 to 40 hours of community service, one month of correctional labor with a 20% deduction of earnings, or administrative arrest for up to 15 days.

The law introduces liability for any physical, psychological or economic harmful acts directed against a person on the basis of gender. This is also punishable by a fine of 1700 to 3400 hryvnias, community service or correctional labor, and administrative arrest for up to 10 days.

There is also an article in the law that provides for punishment for failure to comply with a restraining order or failure to report one’s whereabouts in the event of such an order.