Draft bill #10249 of November 10, 2023 

Sponsor: the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine 

Status: sent for review to the Parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy 

Who is affected: victims of violence, the Ministry of Social Policy, and the National Service Agency 

Summary: 

  • if one of the spouses commits domestic violence: 
    • a lawsuit for divorce can be filed during the wife’s pregnancy and a year after the birth of the child 
    • reconciliation measures for the couple will not be applied 
  • a specialized hotline will be launched for preventing and combating domestic violence, gender-based violence, including sexual violence, related to armed conflict, and violence against children 
  • the powers of the Ministry of Social Policy and the National Service Agency regarding prevention and combating domestic violence and gender-based violence will be delineated: 
    • the Ministry of Social Policy will develop state policy on equal rights and opportunities for women and men 
    • the National Service Agency will implement state policy on equal rights and opportunities for women and men 
  • a network of specialized support services will be launched, including the following: 
    • shelters for people who have suffered from domestic or gender-based violence, including sexual, related to armed conflict 
    • day centers for social and psychological assistance to persons who have suffered from domestic or gender-based violence, including sexual, related to the armed conflict, including crisis rooms 
    • a specialized hotline for preventing and combating against domestic violence, gender-based violence, in particular sexual, related to an armed conflict, and violence against children. 

What is right: 

  • the state will provide better protection from domestic violence 
  • the concept of violence related to armed conflict will be introduced 
  • a network of specialized support services will be launched. 

Background information: 

On June 20, 2022, Ukraine ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).