Women and Justice: Type: Legislation

Article 63 of the Code of Labor Laws prohibits overtime work for pregnant women and women with children under the age of three. This rule is meant to protect women, but at the same time it makes them vulnerable to discrimination. The direct application of this rule violates women's right to freely choose their work, restricts women's access to jobs for which additional payment is provided (for example, under the hourly payment system, overtime work is paid at doubled hourly rate), and can also inhibit women’s career and professional growth. In addition, such a prohibition leads to the unofficial, unsanctioned employment of women in such types of work, which leads to women lacking legal protection and adequate wages. Articles 176-177 determine that women are not allowed to work on nights or weekends. These articles also prohibit employers from sending pregnant women and women with children under three on business trips. Women with children aged three to fourteen, or children with disabilities cannot work overtime, and they cannot be sent on business trips without their consent. These rules also apply to men with children, but only if they are raising them without a mother permanently or long-term (for example, the mother is receiving long-term medical care). This approach discriminates against both men and women, and further reinforces stereotypes that child care is exclusively a woman's duty. For violations of these prohibitions, the Code of Labor Laws provides for fining the employer the amount of the minimum wage for each such violation (currently 6,700 hryvnias).

Статтею 63 Кодексу законів про працю забороняється надурочна робота вагітних жінок і жінок, які мають дітей віком до трьох років. Це правило покликане захистити жінок, але водночас воно робить їх уразливими до дискримінації. Пряме застосування цієї норми порушує право жінок на вільний вибір роботи, обмежує доступ жінок до робіт, за які передбачена додаткова оплата праці (наприклад, за погодинної системи оплати праці понаднормова праця оплачується у подвійному розмірі годинної ставки), а також може перешкоджати. кар'єрному і професійному росту жінки. Крім того, така заборона призводить до неофіційного незаконного працевлаштування жінок на такі види робіт, що призводить до того, що жінки не мають правового захисту та належної оплати праці. Статті 176-177 визначають, що жінки не можуть працювати у нічний час та у вихідні дні. Ці статті також забороняють роботодавцям направляти у відрядження вагітних жінок і жінок, які мають дітей віком до трьох років. Жінки, які мають дітей віком від трьох до чотирнадцяти років або дітей-інвалідів, не можуть працювати понаднормово, а також направлятися у відрядження без їх згоди. Ці правила поширюються і на чоловіків, які мають дітей, але тільки в тому випадку, якщо вони виховують їх постійно або тривалий час без матері (наприклад, мати перебуває на тривалому лікуванні). Такий підхід дискримінує як чоловіків, так і жінок і ще більше зміцнює стереотипи про те, що догляд за дітьми є виключно жіночим обов’язком. За порушення цих заборон Кодексом законів про працю передбачено накладення штрафу на роботодавця в розмірі мінімальної заробітної плати за кожне таке порушення (зараз це 6700 гривень).

Article 1258 of the Civil Code of Ukraine defines the rules of intestate inheritance, or inheritance without a will. If a person did not write a will, or made a will and canceled it before their death, then inheritance proceeds in accordance with the legislation. The grounds for inheritance according to law can be family relationships, adoption, or dependence on the testator for at least five years before his death. For example, children of the testator, including those who were born after his death, parents of the deceased person, and the surviving spouse have the right to inherit as heirs of the first line. Each of five lines of heirs (defined in Articles 1261-1265) receives the right to inherit in the order set in legislation. Only the types of heirs enumerated in legislation are eligible for inheritance rights at law. However, the order in which the heirs receive the right to inherit according to the law can be changed by a notarized agreement of the interested heirs. It is important to note that persons who lived with the testator as a family for at least five years before their death have the right to inherit as heirs of the fourth line. This means that, while the legally registered wife of a man who died intestate will inherit as an heir of the first line, a woman who lived in a civil (unregistered) marriage with a man who died intestate can only inherit as a heir of the fourth line. Accordingly, the probability that a woman in a civil marriage will inherit property after the death of her civil husband is rather low because there are likely to be higher-line heirs who will inherit before her. Moreover, a woman who lived in a civil marriage with the deceased must prove in court that they lived together as family and were not in any other marriage. Appropriate evidence of living as family without marriage registration are, for example: (i) birth certificates of children; (ii) photos, letters, or documents demonstrating that they operated a joint farm, etc.

Стаття 1258 ЦК України визначає правила спадкування без заповіту. Якщо особа не склала заповіту або склала заповіт і скасувала його перед смертю, то спадкування відбувається відповідно до законодавства. Підставою для спадкування за законом можуть бути родинні зв'язки, усиновлення або перебування на утриманні спадкодавця не менше п'яти років до його смерті. Наприклад, право на спадкування як спадкоємці першої черги, мають діти спадкодавця, у тому числі ті, що народилися після його смерті, батьки померлого та той з подружжя, який пережив. Кожна з п'яти черг спадкоємців (визначених статтями 1261-1265) отримує право на спадкування в порядку, встановленому законодавством. Право на спадкування за законом мають лише види спадкоємців, перелічені в законодавстві. Але черговість виникнення спадкоємцями права на спадкування за законом може бути змінена нотаріально посвідченою угодою заінтересованих спадкоємців. Важливо зазначити, що право на спадкування як спадкоємці четвертої черги мають особи, які проживали зі спадкодавцем сім’єю не менше п’яти років до його смерті. Це означає, що, якщо жінка, перебувала в офіційно зареєстрованому шлюбі із чоловіком, який помер без заповіту, то вона спадкує як спадкоємець першої черги, а жінка, яка проживала в цивільному (незареєстрованому) шлюбі з чоловіком, який помер без заповіту, може успадкувати лише як спадкоємець четвертої черги. Відповідно ймовірність того, що жінка, яка перебуває у цивільному шлюбі, успадкує майно після смерті цивільного чоловіка, є досить низькою, оскільки, ймовірно, будуть спадкоємці попередніх черг, які успадкують раніше неї. Крім того, жінка, яка проживала з померлим у цивільному шлюбі, повинна довести в суді, що вони проживали разом сім'єю і не перебували в іншому шлюбі. Відповідними доказами проживання сім'єю без реєстрації шлюбу є, наприклад: (I) свідоцтва про народження дітей; (II) фотографії, листи або документи, які підтверджують, що вони керували спільним господарством тощо.

Article 1241 of the Civil Code of Ukraine provides for a special type of inheritance regardless of the content of the will. This article establishes the rule that a certain category of heirs, including incapacitated widows, will inherit half of the share (“compulsory share”) that would belong to them pursuant to inheritance by law. An “incapacitated citizen” is, for example, a person who has reached the age at which they have the right to a pension, a person with a disability, etc. This rule is meant to protect the testator’s closest relatives. The court may reduce size of a compulsory share, depending on the relationship between the heirs and the testator, as well as other significant circumstances (for example, the heir’s property status). According to the law, it is not possible to deprive the heir of the right to a compulsory share in the inheritance.

Статтею 1241 ЦК України передбачає особливий вид спадкування незалежно від змісту заповіту. Ця стаття встановлює правило, згідно з яким певна категорія спадкоємців, у тому числі непрацездатні вдови, успадковує половину частки ("обов’язкової частки"), яка належала б їм в порядку спадкування за законом. "Непрацездатним громадянином" є, наприклад, особа, яка досягла віку, з якого вона має право на пенсію; особа з інвалідністю тощо. Ця норма покликана захистити найближчих родичів спадкодавця. Суд може зменшити розмір обов’язкової частки залежно від відносин між спадкоємцями та спадкодавцем, а також інших обставин, що мають істотне значення (наприклад, майнового стану спадкоємця). Відповідно до закону, позбавити спадкоємця права на обов'язкову частку у спадщині не можна.

Article 3502 lists the persons who can apply to the court for a restraining order, which means a judicial measure that temporarily restricts rights or imposes obligations on a perpetrator of domestic violence and is aimed at ensuring the victim's safety. For example, the court may order a ban on staying in the common residence with the victim of domestic violence; prohibition to approach within a specified distance to the victim’s place of residence, study, work, or other frequently visited locations; prohibition to contact the victim. The following categories of persons are eligible to apply for a restraining order: (i) a person who has suffered from domestic violence, or their representative; (ii) a person who has suffered from gender-based violence, or their representative; (iii) parents and other legal representatives of a child who suffered from domestic violence or gender-based violence; (iv) a guardian representing the interests of an incapable person who has suffered from domestic violence or gender-based violence.

Стаття 3502 містить перелік осіб, які можуть звернутися до суду із заявою про видачу обмежувального припису, що означає встановлений у судовому порядку захід тимчасового обмеження прав чи покладення обов’язків на особу, яка вчинила домашнє насильство, спрямований на забезпечення безпеки постраждалої особи. Наприклад, суд може встановити заборону на перебування у спільному місці проживання з жертвою домашнього насильства; заборону наближатися на визначену відстань до місця проживання, навчання, роботи чи інших місць, які часто відвідує потерпілий; заборону контактувати з потерпілим. Право на подання заяви про видачу обмежувального припису мають наступні категорії осіб: (I) особа, яка постраждала від домашнього насильства, або її представник; (II) особа, яка постраждала від ґендерно зумовленого насильства, або її представник; (III) батьки та інші законні представники дитини, яка постраждала від домашнього або ґендерно зумовленого насильства; (IV) опікун, який представляє інтереси недієздатної особи, яка постраждала від домашнього або ґендерно зумовленого насильства.

These articles determine the legal consequences related to joint property of the spouses after the dissolution of the marriage. Dissolution of marriage shall not terminate the joint ownership of any property acquired in marriage, meaning that co-owners shall manage any property that remains in their joint ownership upon divorce only on the basis of their mutual agreement. However, the Family Code protects the rights of divorced spouses: (i) they can agree to divide ownership of the joint property or (ii) apply to the court to the divide the joint property after the dissolution of the marriage. As a general rule, any joint property must be allotted to the spouses in equal shares unless otherwise agreed or contracted. However, in determining the division of joint property, the court may divert from the rule of equal shares in the light of any vital circumstances, such as either spouse was not contributing to the family maintenance, concealed assets, eliminated or caused damage to any joint assets, or used any joint assets in a way that was detrimental to the family interests. Children living with one of the spouses in itself is not a reason for increasing the share in the property of one of the spouses.

Ці статті визначають правові наслідки щодо спільного майна подружжя після розірвання шлюбу. Розірвання шлюбу не припиняє право спільної власності на будь-яке майно, набуте в шлюбі, тобто співвласники розпоряджаються майном, яке залишається в їхній спільній власності після розірвання шлюбу, лише за взаємною згодою. Проте, Сімейний кодекс захищає права розлученого подружжя: (I) вони можуть домовитися про поділ спільного майна або (II) звернутися до суду з позовом про поділ спільного майна після розірвання шлюбу. За загальним правилом будь-яке спільне майно подружжя має бути розподілене між подружжям у рівних частках, якщо інше не встановлено домовленістю чи договором. Однак, вирішуючи питання про поділ спільного майна, суд може відхилитися від правила рівних часток у світлі будь-яких життєво важливих обставин, наприклад, якщо будь-хто з подружжя не брав участі в утриманні сім’ї, приховував активи, знищив або завдав шкоди будь-якому спільному майну або використовував будь-які спільні активи у спосіб, який завдавав шкоди інтересам сім’ї. Саме по собі проживання дітей з одним із подружжя не є підставою для збільшення частки у майні одного з подружжя.

Article 57 of the Family Code of Ukraine defines a list of types of property that are not considered joint property of spouses, for example: (i) any property acquired by either spouse before getting married; (ii) any property acquired under a gift agreement or as heritage during the marriage; (iii) any property acquired during marriage with one spouse’s own money; (iv) personal items such as jewelry, even if acquired with money owned jointly by the spouses, etc. However, according to Ukrainian legislation and judicial practice, there is a presumption of joint spousal ownership: it is assumed that all property of the spouses is their joint property and subject to division, until proven otherwise. When deciding whether property belongs to both spouses, Ukrainian courts are guided by criteria including the time of acquisition of the property and the funds with which such property was acquired (source of acquisition). For example, if property was acquired with personal funds during the marriage, the property is not joint property of the spouses, but rather is the personal private property of the spouse who purchased it. At the same time, if it is not confirmed that the property was bought with personal funds, the presumption of joint ownership of the spouses will remain. The spouse contesting the claim that the property is individual property bears the burden of rebutting the presumption of joint. When managing property, Article 59 requires that spouses must consider the interests of the child and other family members who are lawfully authorized to use their property.

Стаття 57 Сімейного кодексу України визначає перелік видів майна, яке не є спільною сумісною власністю подружжя, наприклад: (I) будь-яке майно, набуте одним із подружжя до шлюбу; (II) будь-яке майно, набуте за договором дарування або в порядку спадкування; (III) будь-яке майно, придбане під час шлюбу за особисті кошти одного з подружжя; (IV) особисті речі, такі як ювелірні вироби, навіть якщо вони придбані за кошти, які є спільною власністю подружжя, тощо. Однак, згідно з українським законодавством та судовою практикою, існує презумпція спільної власності подружжя: вважається, що все майно подружжя є їхньою спільною власністю і підлягає поділу, доки не буде доведено інше. Вирішуючи питання про належність майна обом подружжю, українські суди керуються такими критеріями, як час набуття майна та кошти, на які таке майно набуто (джерело набуття). Наприклад, якщо майно було придбано за особисті кошти під час шлюбу, це майно не є спільною власністю подружжя, а є особистою приватною власністю того з подружжя, який його придбав. При цьому, якщо не буде підтверджено факт придбання майна за особисті кошти, презумпція спільної власності подружжя збережеться. Той з подружжя, який заперечує вимогу про те, що майно є індивідуальною власністю, несе тягар спростування презумпції спільної власності. Стаття 59 вимагає, щоб подружжя при управлінні майном зважало на інтереси дитини та інших членів сім’ї, які за законом мають право користуватися їх майном.

Spouses who have children may file to a competent court a divorce application supported by a written agreement detailing with whom the children will live following the divorce, to what extent the other parent will support the children, and the other parent's right to care for the children. The competent court shall award a divorce one month following the submission of the divorce application, if it is established that the divorce application is in line with the genuine intent of the wife and husband. It is interesting that the family law establishes rules according to which the court shall attempt to facilitate the reunification of the couple through measures that are not in conflict with the moral principles of society (in such circumstances, the court may suspend the proceedings and set a time limit for the spouses to reconcile, which may not exceed six months). If both spouses agree to dissolve the marriage, the terms for reconciliation are usually not set by the court. Either spouse may apply for a divorce. At the same time, the legislature limited access to justice to certain categories of persons, namely: pregnant wives and their husbands, as well as parents of children under one year of age. Thus, a divorce application may not be filed during the wife's pregnancy and within one year of childbirth, unless either spouse engages in illegal behavior that may be classified as a criminal offense against the other spouse or the child. Such a limitation does not typically preserve the family, and may interfere with a person's right to marry another person with whom they already live, affects decision-making regarding the acquisition of property, because in this case it will be considered joint property (it will be very difficult for a person to challenge the presumption of joint property in court even if the persons do not live together). When deciding the issue of divorce, the court shall investigate the actual relationship of the spouse and genuine grounds for filing for divorce, with due regard to whether the spouses have a minor child or any other important factors. After divorce, a person has the right to revert their pre-marriage last name. In case of divorce granted by the court, the marriage shall be deemed terminated as of the effective date of the court judgment awarding the divorce.

Подружжя, яке має дітей, може подати до компетентного суду заяву про розірвання шлюбу, яка супроводжується письмовою угодою, в якій вказується, з ким проживатимуть діти після розірвання шлюбу, в якому обсязі другий з батьків утримуватиме дітей, а також право другого з батьків піклуватися про дітей. Компетентний суд ухвалює рішення про розірвання шлюбу через місяць після подання заяви про розірвання шлюбу, якщо буде встановлено, що заява про розірвання шлюбу відповідає справжнім намірам дружини та чоловіка. Цікаво, що сімейне законодавство встановлює правила, відповідно до яких суд намагається сприяти возз’єднанню подружжя за допомогою заходів, які не суперечать моральним засадам суспільства (за таких обставин суд може призупинити провадження та призначити строк для примирення подружжя, який не може перевищувати шести місяців). У разі згоди обох з подружжя на розірвання шлюбу строк примирення судом зазвичай не встановлюються. Будь-хто з подружжя може подати заяву на розірвання шлюбу. Водночас законодавець обмежив доступ до правосуддя певним категоріям осіб, а саме: вагітним дружинам та їхнім чоловікам, а також батькам дітей віком до одного року. Таким чином, заява про розірвання шлюбу не може бути подана під час вагітності дружини та протягом одного року після пологів, за винятком випадків, коли будь-хто з подружжя вчинив протиправну поведінку, яка може бути кваліфікована як кримінальний злочин щодо іншого з подружжя або дитини. Таке обмеження, як правило, не зберігає сім’ю, може перешкоджати праву особи на шлюб з іншою особою, з якою вони вже проживають, впливати на прийняття рішення щодо придбання майна, оскільки в цьому випадку воно вважатиметься спільною власністю (вкрай важко оскаржити презумпцію спільної власності в суді, навіть якщо особи не проживають разом). При вирішенні питання про розірвання шлюбу суд з'ясовує фактичні стосунки подружжя та дійсні підстави для звернення до суду з позовом про розірвання шлюбу, з урахуванням наявності у подружжя неповнолітньої дитини та інших важливих обставин. Після розірвання шлюбу особа має право повернути своє дошлюбне прізвище. У разі розірвання шлюбу за рішенням суду шлюб вважається припиненим з дня набрання законної сили рішенням суду про розірвання шлюбу.

Termination of marriage is a legal status, after which the legal relationship between the spouses no longer exists. Articles 104-105 of the Family Code of Ukraine provide that a marriage is terminated if either spouse is presumed dead or declared missing. Dissolution is one of the types of termination of marriage provided by the Family Code. Dissolution can take place via in-court and out-of-court procedure, namely: (i) upon application to the civil registration office for divorce filed by (a) both spouses (if spouses do not have children) or (b) only one of spouse (if the second spouse has been declared missing or incapacitated); (ii) upon successful application to a competent court from spouses who have children; (iii) upon the application of one of the spouses. These articles reflect the principle of “voluntary marriage,” which requires free and complete consent not only at the time of marriage registration, but also during marriage and its subsequent dissolution. No one can be forced to stay in a marriage. A simple unwillingness to continue being married to a certain person is enough, even in the absence of conflicts, quarrels, etc.

Припинення шлюбу є правовим станом, після якого правовідносини між подружжям перестають існувати. Статтями 104-105 Сімейного кодексу України передбачено, що шлюб припиняється у разі визнання одного з подружжя померлим або безвісно відсутнім. Розірвання шлюбу є одним із видів припинення шлюбу, передбачених Сімейним кодексом. Розірвання шлюбу може відбутися в судовому та позасудовому порядку, а саме: (I) за заявою до відділу реєстрації актів цивільного стану про розлучення, поданою (а) обома подружжям (якщо подружжя не має дітей) або (б) лише одним із подружжя (якщо другий з подружжя визнано безвісно відсутнім або недієздатним); (II) після успішного звернення до компетентного суда від подружжя, яке має дітей; (III) за заявою одного з подружжя. У цих статтях відображено принцип "добровільності шлюбу", який вимагає вільної та повної згоди не лише під час реєстрації шлюбу, але й під час шлюбу та його подальшого розірвання. Нікого не можна змусити залишатися в шлюбі. Досить простого небажання продовжувати перебування в шлюбі з певною людиною, навіть за відсутності конфліктів, сварок і т.

The Procedure defines the rules for determining the status of a victim of human trafficking based on relevant information. The document requires that a victim submit an application to establish status to their local state administration. The Procedure determines victims’ rights to receive shelter, medical, psychological, and other government assistance. If the application is approved, the victim of human trafficking is issued a certificate. The requirements for establishing the status are: (i) conclusion of an illegal agreement (for example, if a person (victim) was sold by agreement as goods by one person (seller) to another person (buyer)); (ii) recruitment, movement, concealment, transfer, or receipt of a person for the purpose of exploitation, including coercion, abduction, fraud, blackmail, material, or other dependence; (iii) the applicant’s supporting documents and materials affirm their eligibility. A person whose status has been established and who has received the relevant certificate has the right to receive one-time financial assistance in accordance with the Procedure. Also, victims will receive information about their rights and opportunities, set out in their own language, as well as compensation for moral and material damage at the expense of the persons who caused it. The status is granted for up to two years and can be extended. According to official statistics for 2021, the status of victims of human trafficking was established for 47 citizens, of whom 11 are women, 36 are men, and 1 is a child. The greatest number of persons suffered from labor exploitation. The main destination countries are Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Порядок визначає правила визначення статусу особи, яка постраждала від торгівлі людьми, за відповідною інформацією. Документ передбачає, що потерпілий подає заяву про встановлення статусу до місцевої державної адміністрації. Порядок визначає права потерпілих на отримання притулку, медичної, психологічної та іншої державної допомоги. У разі задоволення заяви, потерпілому від торгівлі людьми видається довідка. Вимогами для встановлення статусу є: (I) укладення незаконної угоди (наприклад, якщо особа (потерпілий) була продана за домовленістю як товар однією особою (продавцем) іншій особі (покупцю)); (II) вербування, переміщення, приховування, передача або одержання особи з метою експлуатації, включаючи примус, викрадення, шахрайство, шантаж, матеріальну чи іншу залежність; (III) документи та матеріали, що зібрані під час проведення перевірки і підтверджують можливість встановлення статусу. Право на отримання одноразової грошової допомоги згідно з Порядком має особа, статус якої встановлено та, яка отримала відповідну довідку. Також потерпілі отримають інформацію про свої права та можливості, викладену рідною мовою, а також відшкодування моральної та матеріальної шкоди за рахунок осіб, які її завдали. Статус надається на термін до двох років і може бути продовжений. Згідно з офіційною статистикою за 2021 рік статус постраждалих від торгівлі людьми встановлено 47 громадянам, з яких 11 жінок, 36 чоловіків, 1 дитина. Найбільша кількість осіб постраждала від трудової експлуатації. Основні країни призначення – Україна та Російська Федерація.

This Order invalidated Order No 256, which listed heavy work and work with harmful and dangerous working conditions in which the employment of women was prohibited. Order No 256’s list of prohibited work for women included 70 types of work and 558 professions. Among the priority factors were the physical stress associated with lifting and carrying loads, forced working posture, vibration, and other similar tasks that could affect a woman's body and reproductive health. The following types of professions were prohibited for women: the well-paid professions of a subway driver, a motorist on a ship, and long-distance bus driver. In addition, the Law of Ukraine 'On Organization of Labor Relations under the Martial Law' specifies that during the period of martial law, the employment of women (except for pregnant women and women with a child under one year of age) is allowed for heavy work with their consent and in jobs with harmful or dangerous working conditions, including underground works. Invalidating Order No 256 is a positive step because (i) no one has the right to determine what a person should study for and where they should work; (ii) the Constitution of Ukraine stipulates that no one may be discriminated against based on gender, age, religion, etc.; (iii) Order 256’s now-defunct prohibitions deprived women of social protections because, for example, in practice, women unofficially worked in the positions they considered necessary in violation of the Law. This, in turn, led women not receiving salaries equal to men’s because women could not be officially employed.

Цим наказом визнано таким, що втратив чинність, Наказ № 256, який містив перелік важких робіт та робіт із шкідливими та небезпечними умовами праці, на яких заборонялося застосування праці жінок. До списку заборонених Наказом № 256 робіт для жінок увійшли 70 видів робіт і 558 професій. Серед пріоритетних факторів були фізичні навантаження, пов'язані з підйомом і перенесенням вантажів, вимушеною робочою позою, вібрацією та іншими подібними завданнями, які можуть вплинути на жіночий організм і репродуктивне здоров'я жінки. Для жінок були заборонені такі види професій: високооплачувані професії машиніста метрополітену, моториста на кораблі, водія автобуса далекого прямування. Крім цього, Законом України "Про організацію трудових відносин в умовах воєнного стану" визначено, що на період дії воєнного стану допускається прийняття на роботу жінок (крім вагітних і жінок, які мають дитину віком до одного року) на важких роботах за їх згодою та на роботах із шкідливими або небезпечними умовами праці, у тому числі на підземних роботах. Визнання недійсним Наказу № 256 є позитивним кроком, оскільки (I) ніхто не має права визначати, де людина має навчатися і де працювати; (II) Конституція України визначає, що ніхто не може бути дискримінований за ознакою статі, віку, віросповідання тощо; (III) заборони Наказу № 256, які тепер не діють, позбавляли жінок соціального захисту, оскільки, до прикладу, на практиці жінки неофіційно працювали на посадах, які вони вважали необхідними, всупереч Закону. Це, у свою чергу, призводило до того, що жінки не отримували заробітну плату на рівні заробітній платі чоловіків, оскільки жінки не могли бути офіційно працевлаштовані.

The Law (No 2523-VIII) amended the Statute of the Internal Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine 'On Military Service and Military Duty' in order to allow women to be assigned to 24-hour military duty on an equal basis with men. Before these amendments, the Statute of the Internal Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine contained the rule according to which female soldiers, as a rule, are not assigned to 24-hour military duty. In addition, all officer and sergeant positions now are available to women in the Armed Forces, subject to compliance with legislation on childhood and maternity protection. At the same time, advantages for women in the field of military service still exist. For example, Article 101 of the Law of Ukraine 'On social and legal protection of servicemen and members of their families' defines the following procedure for granting leave to men: only a female soldier can receive maternity leave during “special” periods, specifically (i) from the moment of the announcement of the decision to mobilize; (ii) the introduction of martial law in Ukraine or in some of its localities and includes the time of mobilization, wartime, and partial of the reconstruction period after the end of military actions. In contrast, a male soldier can use childcare leave only in peacetime. Similarly, the legislation of Ukraine contains a rule that prohibits male soldiers using childcare leave before a child reaches three years of age for military men during martial law or “special” period. Amendments introduced by the Law (No. 2523-VIII) are a step towards the equality of men and women in the field of military service, but there are still certain gender discriminatory norms that are not regulated by the current legislation.

Законом (№ 2523-VIII) внесено зміни до Статуту внутрішньої служби Збройних Сил України та Закону України "Про військову службу і військовий обов’язок", аби дозволити призначення жінок на цілодобове військове чергування на рівні з чоловіками. До цих змін у Статуті внутрішньої служби Збройних Сил України була норма, згідно з якою військовослужбовці-жінки, як правило, не призначаються на цілодобове військове чергування. Крім того, усі офіцерські та сержантські посади тепер доступні жінкам у Збройних Силах, за умови дотримання законодавства про охорону дитинства та материнства. Водночас переваги для жінок у сфері військової служби все ж існують. Наприклад, статтею 101 Закону України "Про соціальний і правовий захист військовослужбовців та членів їх сімей" визначено такий порядок надання відпустки чоловікам: лише військовослужбовець-жінка може отримати відпустку у зв’язку із вагітністю та пологами в "особливий" період, а саме (I) з моменту оголошення рішення про мобілізацію; (II) введення воєнного стану в Україні або в окремих її місцевостях, що охолює мобілізацію, воєнний стан та частково період відбудови після закінчення військових дій. Натомість військовослужбовець-чоловік може використовувати відпустку по догляду за дитиною лише в мирний час. Так само, в законодавстві України є норма, яка забороняє військовослужбовцям-чоловікам використовувати відпустку по догляду за дитиною до досягнення нею трирічного віку під час воєнного стану чи "особливого" періоду. Зміни, внесені Законом № 2523-VIII, є кроком до рівноправності чоловіків і жінок у сфері військової служби, але залишаються певні ґендерно-дискримінаційні норми, які не врегульовані чинним законодавством.

The Law provides a number of benefits and guarantees for women. In particular, annual basic and additional full-time leave in the first year of work is provided to employees after six months of continuous work at the enterprise, institution, or organization. However, until this term, such leave may be granted to women (at their request) before or after maternity leave, as well as to women who have two or more children under the age of 15 or a child with a disability. Also, mentioned above categories of women have the right to receive annual leave at their request at a time convenient for them. The Law also guarantees women's right to leave in connection with pregnancy and childbirth (this means that women shall be granted a paid maternity leave for 70 calendar days before childbirth and for 56 calendar days after childbirth, counting from the day of childbirth). According to amendments to the Law, a child's father, after the end of maternity leave, can use childcare leave (parental leave) until his child reaches the age of three. In addition, a man whose wife has given birth to a child has the right to a one-time paid paternity leave of up to 14 calendar days after the birth of the child. These changes were introduced in the year 2021 by the Law of Ukraine 'On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts Concerning Ensuring Equal Opportunities for Mothers and Fathers to Care for a Child'. Such a step brings Ukraine closer to the policy of gender equality. Both women and men have the same rights and responsibilities regarding the upbringing of their children.

Закон передбачає ряд пільг та гарантій для жінок. Зокрема, щорічні основна та додаткові відпустки повної тривалості в перший рік роботи надаються працівнику після шести місяців безперервної роботи на підприємстві, в установі, організації. Але до цього терміну така відпустка може надаватися жінкам (за їх бажанням) до або після відпустки у зв’язку з вагітністю та пологами, а також жінкам, які мають двох і більше дітей віком до 15 років або дитину-інваліда. Також вищезазначені категорії жінок мають право на отримання щорічної відпустки за їх бажанням у зручний для них час. Закон також гарантує жінкам право на відпустку у зв'язку з вагітністю та пологами (це означає, що жінкам надається оплачувана відпустка тривалістю 70 календарних днів до пологів і 56 календарних днів після пологів, починаючи з дня пологів). Відповідно до змін до Закону, батько дитини після закінчення відпустки у зв’язку з вагітністю та пологами може використати відпустку по догляду за дитиною до досягнення дитиною трирічного віку. Крім цього, чоловік, дружина якого народила дитину, має право на одноразову оплачувану відпустку по догляду за дитиною тривалістю до 14 календарних днів після народження дитини. Ці зміни були внесені у 2021 році Законом України "Про внесення змін до деяких законодавчих актів щодо забезпечення рівних можливостей матері та батька щодо догляду за дитиною". Такий крок наближає Україну до політики гендерної рівності. І жінки, і чоловіки мають однакові права та обов'язки щодо виховання дітей.

The Model Regulation defines that the main tasks of the shelter are to provide a place for a safe temporary 24-hour stay and comprehensive assistance (psychological, medical, informational, legal and other services) for victims of domestic violence and/or gender-based violence. Certain categories of persons have the right to be placed in a shelter: (i) adult victims of violence (on referral from the National Police of Ukraine, mobile brigade for social and psychological assistance to victims of domestic violence and/or gender-based violence, etc.); (ii) a person who has not reached the age of majority, but is (or was) in a registered marriage; (iii) a child together with their parent or other guardian. However, if a victim is in a state of alcohol or drug intoxication, has signs of mental diseases, infectious diseases of the skin and hair, tuberculosis, etc., they will not be admitted to the shelter. It is interesting that the address of the temporary shelter cannot be found on the Internet; it cannot be disclosed for the safety of those who are in shelter. Moreover, victims do not know the exact address (in practice, they come to the shelter with social service workers). Currently, the issue of the length of stay of the women, who are victims of violence in the shelter is problematic. According to the Model Regulation, people can stay in a shelter for up to three months or, in case of difficult life circumstances, up to six months. After three months, women very often return to their abusers. This can be explained by two main reasons: (i) during this period, not everyone finds the internal resources to restore and start an independent life; (ii) court hearing of divorce or division of property is quite lengthy in time. And very often after 90 days in the shelter, these women still have nowhere to go, except back 'to the family' (that's why 40% of women return to the shelter again).

Типовим положенням визначено, що основними завданнями притулку є забезпечення місця для безпечного тимчасового цілодобового перебування та надання комплексної допомоги (психологічні, медичні, інформаційні, юридичні та інші послуги) жертвам насильства в сім’ї та/або ґендерно зумовленого насильства. Право на влаштування до притулку мають певні категорії осіб: (I) повнолітні особи, які постраждали від насильства (за направленням Національної поліції України, мобільної бригади соціально-психологічної допомоги жертвам домашнього та/або ґендерно зумовленого насильства) тощо; (II) особа, яка не досягла повноліття, але перебуває (або перебувала) у зареєстрованому шлюбі; (III) дитина разом із батьками чи іншими опікунами. Проте, якщо потерпілі перебувають у стані алкогольного чи наркотичного сп'яніння, має ознаки психічних захворювань, інфекційних захворювань шкіри та волосся, туберкульоз тощо, вони не допускаються до притулку. Цікаво, що в Інтернеті неможливо знайти адресу тимчасового притулку; його не можна розголошувати заради безпеки тих, хто перебуває в притулку. Крім того, постраждалі не знають точної адреси (на практиці вони приходять до притулку разом із працівниками соціальних служб). Наразі проблемним є питання щодо тривалості перебування у притулку жінок, які є жертвами насильства. Відповідно до Типового положення, люди можуть перебувати у притулку до трьох місяців, а у разі складних життєвих обставин – до шести місяців. Через три місяці жінки дуже часто повертаються до своїх кривдників. Це можна пояснити двома основними причинами: (I) у цей період не всі знаходять внутрішні ресурси для відновлення та початку самостійного життя; (II) судове засідання щодо розірвання шлюбу або поділу майна є досить тривалим у часі. І дуже часто після 90 днів у притулку цим жінкам все ще нікуди подітися, окрім як повертатись "до сім’ї" (тому 40% жінок повертаються до притулку знову).

The Expert Council on issues of consideration of appeals on facts of discrimination on the basis of gender (hereinafter “the Expert Council”), which was created under the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine with the purpose of responding to complaints and appeals from citizens regarding gender discrimination. Discrimination is when an individual and/or a group of individuals suffers from a gender-based restriction on the recognition, exercise, or enjoyment of rights and freedoms in any form established by the Law of Ukraine 'On the Principles of Preventing and Combating Discrimination in Ukraine', except for cases in which such restriction has a legitimate, reasonably justified aim that is achieved in an appropriate and necessary way. The main tasks of the Expert Council are: (i) evaluating appeals based on gender discrimination by executive authorities, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, and citizens with the aim of providing an expert assessment and taking appropriate measures; (ii) preparing proposals for legislative amendments in order to ensure compliance with protecting equal rights and opportunities for women and men; (iii) preventing all forms of gender discrimination, etc. Most of the appeals considered by this body concern discriminatory advertising (sexist outdoor advertising on the streets of Ukrainian cities). At the same time, the creation of the Expert Council does not guarantee its effectiveness. According to the Order No 345: (i) there is no effective enforcement mechanism for the decisions of the Expert Council (it only provides recommendations to authorities and other entities regarding the elimination of violations and appropriate response measures); (ii) the decisions of the Expert Council are advisory and not binding in nature; (iii) Ukrainian law does not impose liability for failure to comply with decisions of the Expert Council. In addition, there is almost no information in the media about the activities of the Expert Council. Consequently, many citizens are not aware of the existence of this state body and how to contact it.

З метою реагування на скарги та звернення громадян за фактами дискримінації за ознакою статі при Міністерстві соціальної політики України було створено Експертну раду з питань розгляду звернень за фактами дискримінації за ознакою статі (надалі — "Експертна рада"). Дискримінація за ознакою статі означає ситуацію, за якої особа та/або група осіб зазнає обмежень у правах і свободах в будь-якій формі, встановленій Законом України "Про засади запобігання та протидії дискримінації в Україні", крім випадків, коли таке обмеження має правомірну, об’єктивно обґрунтовану мету, способи досягнення якої є належними та необхідними. Основними завданнями Експертної ради є: (I) оцінка звернень щодо гендерної дискримінації від органів виконавчої влади, органів місцевого самоврядування, громадських організацій, громадян з метою надання експертної оцінки та вжиття відповідних заходів; (II) підготовка пропозицій щодо внесення змін до законодавства з метою забезпечення захисту рівних прав і можливостей жінок і чоловіків; (III) запобігання будь-яким формам гендерної дискримінації тощо. Більшість звернень, розглянутих цим органом, стосуються дискримінаційної реклами (зовнішньої сексистської реклами на вулицях міст України). Водночас, створення зазначеного органу не говорить про його ефективність, оскільки (I) відсутній ефективний механізм виконання рішень Експертної ради (вона лише надає рекомендації органам влади та іншим установам усунути відповідні порушення та вжити відповідні заходи); (II) рішення цього органу мають рекомендаційний, а не обов’язковий характер; (III) законодавством України не передбачена відповідальність за невиконання рішення Експертної ради. Крім цього, у медіапросторі майже відсутня інформації про діяльність Експертної ради у зв’язку із чим багато громадян не обізнані про факт існування такого органу та можливості звернення до нього.

This Act criminalized female genital mutilation and related offences in Ireland. Section 1 defines female genital mutilation as any act the purpose or effect of which is the excision, infibulation or other mutilation of the whole or any part of the labia majora, labia minora, prepuce of the clitoris, clitoris, or vagina. Section 2 makes this an offence, but lays down certain statutory defences, including where the act committed is a surgical operation performed by a medical practitioner (or in some cases a midwife) where it is necessary for the protection of physical or mental health, or where it is performed in connection with labour or birth. Section 2(3) also explicitly provides that consent is not a defence. Section 3 also makes it an offence to remove or attempt to remove a girl or woman from Ireland where one of the purposes of removal is to subject her to an act of female genital mutilation. Persons convicted of offences under the Act are liable to a term of imprisonment of up to 12 months on summary conviction or to a class A fine, or to up to 14 years’ imprisonment on conviction on indictment.

The 2015 Act provides for free health services for women who worked in Magdalen laundries (institutions ostensibly intended to house and employ ‘fallen’ women). Its Schedule provides for the 'Relevant Institutions' for the purposes of identifying women entitled to the provision of services. The 2015 Act was updated in 2019 (available here) to expand the group of women eligible for benefits under the Act.

The 2012 Act makes it an offence to withhold information, without reasonable excuse, about certain offences against children and vulnerable adults from the Garda Síochána (Sections 2 and 3). These ‘certain offences’ include, inter alia, murder, assault, false imprisonment, rape, sexual assault, and incest. Defences are set out in Section 4, including those which may be raised by “prescribed persons” employed or engaged by a prescribed organization (defined in Sections 5 and 6). Penalties for offenses under Sections 2 or 3 are set forth in Section 7. Upon summary conviction, a person is liable to a Class A fine (€5,000) and/or up to 12 months’ imprisonment; for conviction on indictment, the term of imprisonment changes relative to the term of imprisonment stipulated in the statute providing for the principal offence (Section 7).

Marital rape is a crime under the 1990 Act. The 1990 Act deletes the word “unlawful” from the statutory definition of rape (‘unlawful sexual intercourse’ without consent, as set forth in the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981). The amended definition of rape therefore does not exclude ‘lawful’ sexual intercourse (i.e., between married persons). The 1990 Act also explicitly abolished ‘any rule of law by virtue of which a husband cannot be guilty of the rape of his wife’ (Section 5). Section 4 defines rape as any penetration (however slight) of the anus or mouth by the penis or of the vagina by any object held or manipulated by another person, providing for a punishment on conviction of up to life imprisonment (Section 4). Section 7 of the Act also deals with the corroboration rule in the case of sexual offences. In particular, the judge is no longer required to give the jury a corroboration warning, but such warning is not prohibited.

The Civil Registration Act 2019 made technical amendments to the Civil Registration Act of 2004, the purposes of which were to facilitate legislation to provide for registration of the birth of donor-conceived children, and to enable both partners in a same-sex female relationship to have their details recorded in such registrations. Specifically, Section 10 provides for the recording of a ‘parent’s’ details and any parent may so register although the options of ‘mother’ and ‘father’ are still available.

The Act provides for parentage in case of donor-assisted human reproduction (“DAHR”) (Part 2), issues relating to DAHR facilities (including acquisition of gametes by operators) (Part 3), and amendments to the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (Part 4), Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976, the Status of Children Act 1987, Family Law Act 1995, and among other legislation, to reflect rights and responsibilities of spouses or civil partners of biological parents and to take into account DAHR situations. The Act provides that a child born as a result of a DAHR procedure shall have as parents the mother and her spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant, provided that the mother and her spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant have consented to the latter being a parent to the child (Section 5). When construed as the parents of the child, the mother and any other parent, as the case may be, shall have all parental rights and duties in respect of the child (Section 5(3)). The donor of a gamete or embryo used in a DAHR procedure is not the parent of the child nor do they have any parental rights or duties in respect of the child (Section 5(5) and Section 5(6)). A person can only consent to providing a gamete for use in a DAHR procedure where they have attained the age of 18, have received the necessary information pursuant to the Act, and made a declaration pursuant to the Act (Section 6). An intending mother and her partner must be over the age of 21 to consent to parentage (Sections 9, 11).

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 gave effect to European Council Directive No. 2011/93/EU of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. It also amended certain other legislation, including the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 (available here), the Criminal Law (Incest Proceedings) Act 1995, the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 (available here), the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008 (available here), and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006. The Act provides for offences relating to sexual acts with protected persons and relating to payment for sexual activity with sex workers, offensive conduct of a sexual nature and harassment of victims of sexual offences. The Act defines ‘sexual exploitation’ in relation to a child and specifies the elements that would constitute a sexual offence against a child, including performing sexual acts in front of a child and prostitution of a child. Generally, Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 broaden the scope of criminal acts in relation to children, such as the prohibition of causing a child to watch sexual activity (Section 6), meeting a child for the purposes of sexual exploitation (Section 7), and the use of information and communication technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child (Section 8). The Act also criminalizes the purchase of sexual services and prohibits sexual activity with a protected person, as defined by the Act. The Act creates a distinction related to the commission of a sexual act with a child under 17 years of age and with a child under 15 years of age, with a conviction on indictment for the former offence resulting in a term of imprisonment of up to 7 years (unless the person is in authority, in which case they may be sentenced for up to 15 years) (Section 17), and with a conviction on indictment for the latter offence resulting in a term of imprisonment of life (Section 16). Importantly, Section 48 of the Act reforms the law in relation to consent to sexual acts. In particular, it states that a person does not consent to a sexual act if, inter alia, they permits the act to take place or submits to it because of the application, threat or fear of use of force against them, if they are asleep, if they are incapable of consenting because of intoxication, or if they are mistaken as to the nature and purpose of the act or the identity of the person involved. The Act also clarifies that consent can be withdrawn at any time and that lack of physical resistance does not, of itself, constitute consent (Section 48). Finally, Section 46 allows a court to issue a “Harassment order” against a person when imposing a sentence for a sexual offence or at any time before the convicted person is released from prison.

The 1998 Act prohibits trafficking of children for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008 (available here) amended the 1998 Act’s provisions related to child trafficking and sexual exploitation (Section 3) and the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2013 (available here) expanded the definition of labour exploitation and aggravating factors. The 1998 Act also criminalizes allowing a child to be used for child pornography (Section 4). A person found guilty on indictment of this offence faces up to 14 years’ imprisonment. Section 5 has been substituted by Section 12 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 (available here), which prohibits the production, distribution, and possession, inter alia, of child pornography. Persons convicted of such offences are liable, on summary conviction, to a Class A fine (€5,000) and/or up to 12 months’ imprisonment, or conviction on indictment, to a fine and/or up to 14 years’ imprisonment (Section 5, as amended). Section 6, as amended, prohibits the possession of child pornography; persons convicted of such offences are liable, on summary conviction, to a Class A fine (€5,000) and/or up to 12 months’ imprisonment, or conviction on indictment, to a fine and/or up to 5 years’ imprisonment. Section 13 of the Criminal Justice Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 (available here) also inserts Section 5A, prohibiting, inter alia, causing, inciting, compelling, coercing, recruiting, inviting, or inducing of a child to participate in a pornographic performance or the gaining from such participation.

The 2008 Act, which amends the 1998 Child Trafficking and Pornography Act (available here) among other legislation, defines trafficking as when a person, in relation to another person, “(a) procures, recruits, transports or harbours the person, or (i) transfers the person to, (ii) places the person in the custody, care or charge, or under the control, of, or (iii) otherwise delivers the person to, another person, (b) causes a person to enter or leave the State or to travel within the State, (c) takes custody of a person or takes a person— (i) into one’s care or charge, or (ii) under one’s control, or (d) provides the person with accommodation or employment” (Section 1). Exploitation includes labour exploitation, sexual exploitation, or exploitation consisting of the removal of one or more of the organs of a person. Labour exploitation includes subjecting the person to forced labour, forcing him or her to render services to another, or enslavement or similar servitude. Sexual exploitation includes production of pornography depicting the person alone or with others, causing the person to engage in sexual activity for the purpose of the production of pornography, prostitution of the person, or otherwise causing the person to engage or participate in any sexual, indecent, or obscene act, etc. (Section 1). The Act contains specific provisions regarding trafficking of a child (a person under the age of 18), which were further amended by the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 (available here). Trafficking a child for exploitation is an offense, as is selling or offering to sell a child, or purchasing or offering to purchase a child (Sections 2 and 3). There is an additional definition of “trafficks” in relation to a child, meaning that a person “(a) procures, recruits, transports or harbors the child, or— (i) transfers the child to, (ii) places the child in the custody, care or charge, or under the control, of, or (iii) otherwise delivers the child to, another person, (b) causes the child to enter or leave the State or to travel within the State, (c) takes custody of the child or takes the child— (i) into one’s care or charge, or (ii) under one’s control, or (d) provides the child with accommodation or employment” (Section 3). There is also separate definition of “sexual exploitation” in relation to a child, and includes inviting, inducing, or coercing a child to engage in prostitution or the production of child pornography, or inviting, inducing, or coercing the child to engage or participate in any sexual, indecent, or obscene act, etc. (Section 3). The offences of exploitation and sexual exploitation in relation to children are subject to penalties specified in sections 2 and 3; a court may sentence a person found guilty on indictment to a term of life imprisonment (or less) and a fine. Penalties for trafficking of persons other than children are specified in Section 4; the court may sentence a person found guilty on indictment to a term of life imprisonment (or less) and a fine. The Act also explicitly provides for penalties where an accused is found guilty of attempt, incitement, or conspiracy in relation to the offences under the Act. Soliciting or importuning for purposes of prostitution of trafficked persons, or benefiting from such activities, is also an offence subject to specified penalties (Section 5), as are offences committed by corporate bodies (Section 6). Jurisdiction includes extraterritorial jurisdiction (e.g., where a person commits an act in relation to an Irish citizen in a place other than the State that, if done in the State, would constitute one of certain enumerated offenses). The Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) (Amendment) Act 2013 (available here) further amends these provisions, in particular with expanded definitions of labour exploitation and aggravating factors.

The Equal Status Act pertains to the delivery of goods and services. (Section 1). It prohibits discrimination (with specified exceptions) in the disposal of goods and provision of services (Section 5), the disposal of premises and provision of accommodation (Section 6), and education establishments (Section 7). Discrimination by private clubs with regard to membership may be sanctioned via loss of permission to provide alcohol to members (Section 8 and 10) with some exceptions (Section 9). The Act also prohibits sexual and other harassment (Section 11); advertisement which indicates an intent to engage in prohibited conduct, or might reasonably be so understood (prohibited conduct means, per Section 1, discrimination against, or sexual harassment or harassment of, or permitting the sexual harassment or harassment of a person) (Section 12); and procurement of prohibited conduct (Section 13).

The 2018 Act consolidates the law on domestic violence. It provides for safety orders (Section 6), protection orders (Section 10), barring orders (Sections 8-9), and care or supervision orders (Section 12), which a court may issue based on all factors or circumstances it deems relevant, including the Act’s 19 enumerated factors (Section 5). The Act penalizes a contravention of an order with a class B fine (up to €4,000), imprisonment of a term not exceeding 12 months, or both. It also prohibits forced marriage (Section 38) and coercive control (Section 39) that has a serious effect on a relevant person (creating a fear of violence or serious alarm or distress that has a substantial adverse impact on a person’s day-to-day activities). The sentencing range for forced marriage is one to seven years, depending on the type of conviction. The sentencing range for coercive control is one to five years, depending on the type of conviction.

The Act focuses on the non-consensual distribution of explicit images, inter alia. Section 2 makes it an offence to distribute, publish, or threaten to distribute or publish an intimate image with (i) intent to harm or (ii) being reckless as to whether harm is caused. Section 1 defines “distribute” and “publish” as being distributed or published to the public or a section of the public. Section 1 further defines an “intimate image” in broad terms, encompassing a photographic, film, video, or digital representation, and includes nude, non-nude, or sexual images. “Harm” includes psychological harm (Section 1). A person found guilty of an offence under Section 2 is subject to a Class A fine (up to €5,000) and/or up to 12 months’ imprisonment if tried summarily, or a fine and/or up to seven years’ imprisonment if convicted on indictment. Section 3 makes it an offence to record, distribute, or publish intimate images without consent. A person found guilty of such an offence is liable, on summary conviction, to a Class A fine (up to €5,000), and/or up to 12 months’ imprisonment. Section 4 makes it an offence to distribute, publish, or send threatening or grossly offensive communications. A person found guilty of an offence under Section 2 is subject to a Class A fine (up to €5,000) and/or up to six months’ imprisonment if tried summarily, or a fine and/or up to two years’ imprisonment if convicted on indictment. Section 7 provides that summary proceedings for an offence under the Act may be instituted within two years from the date on which the offence was committed.

Articles 97-98 and 340-341 relate to who may benefit from more lenient sentences for “honour crimes,” such as a person who has witnessed his or her spouse committing adultery. However, Article 345 now excludes honor crimes where the victim is under 15 from qualifying as a mitigating circumstance as enumerated in Articles 97 and 98. Further, Article 308, which allowed a rapist to avoid punishment if they married their victim, was removed in the same 2017 amendment. Article 292 criminalizes intercourse with a woman, other than the man's wife, without her consent through either the means of coercion, threat, or deception. The punishment for such an action is at least 15 years’ imprisonment. This is extended under Article 293 to those women who are unable to resist sexual advances due to a physical or mental disability. In Article 294, a person who has intercourse with a girl of 15-17 years of age will be subject to 7 years temporary hard labor. If the victim is between 12 - 15 years, the minimum penalty will be 15 years. Article 304 provides a minimum standard of six months to three years imprisonment for those persons who “deflower virgins” of 18 years after promising to marry them in addition to compensation. Article 305 and 306 provides that anyone who commits sexual harassment or any type of sexual gesture with a child of under 18 (male or female), or over 18 without consent, is penalized. Article 314 provides that caretakers who permit a child between 6-16 to frequent brothels is penalized for imprisonment for a period of 6 years or with a fine of 20 (JD). Articles 309-318 prohibit prostitution, running a brothel, forcing a woman into prostitution, exposing a child to a brothel, renting a house for brothel, living off of a woman’s sex work. Article 323 punishes whomever aborts a woman's pregnancy without her consent with labor penalties for 10 years, and more than 10 years if the abortion leads to the woman’s death. Abortion remains illegal, but obtaining an abortion “to preserve honor” is a mitigating factor.

توضح المواد 97-98 والمواد 340-341 من يمكن أن يستفيد من العقوبات المخففة لجرائم الشرف مثل الشخص الذي فوجئ بزوجته بجريمة الزنا. بينما بينت المادة 345 أن العقوبات المخففة لا تشمل من هم دون 15 عام. ومن الجدير بالذكر أنه تم حذف المادة 308 التي كانت تسمح للمغتصب بأن يتزوج الضحية. ومنعت المادة 292 مواقعة أنثى بغير رضاها سواء بالتهديد أو بالإكراه أو بالحيلة أو الخداع، وتكون العقوبة 15 سنة فأكثر. كما تمتد ذات العقوبة إلى الأنثى التي لا تستطيع المقاومة بسبب ضعف نفسي أو عقلي أو جسدي. كما أشارت المادة 294 إلى أن كل شخص واقع أنثى ما بين 15-17 سنة عوقب بالأشغال المؤقتة لمدة لا تقل عن 7 سنوات، أما إذا كان يقل عمره عن 15 سنة فتمتد عقوبة الأشغال إلى 15 سنة كحد أدنى. ووضحت المادة 304 أن كل شخص قام بخداع بكرًا يبلغ عمرها 18 عام فأكثر بوعده لها بالزاوج ففض بكارتها أو تسبب في حملها يعاقب بالحبس من 6 أشهر على 3 سنوات، بالإضاقة إلى ضمان بكارتها. ذكرت كل من المادتين 305 و306 أنه يعاقب كل شخص قام بفعل جنسي أو أي إيحاء يدل على ذلك لشخص لم يتم 18 من عمره أو أكمل 18 من عمره لكن لو يؤخذ برضاه. كما أشارت المادة 314 أن كل من عوهد إليه بالعناية بولد يتراوح عمره ما بين 6-16 سنة، وسمح له بالاقامة في بيت بغاء أو التردد عليه، يعاقب بالحبس حتى 6 أشهر أو بغرامة حتى 20 دولار. أما اامواد 309-318 فقد جاءت لتمنع الدعارة، والمادة 323 أشارت إلى أنه من أقدم بأي وسيلة كان على اجهاض امرأة، فيعاقب بالحبس لمدة لا تزيد على 10 سنوات، وأكثر من 10 سنوات إذا سبب ذلك الإجهاض وفاة. الإجهاض لا يزال غير قانوني، ولكن لو أرادت المرأة أن تقوم بالإجهاض للحفاظ على الشرف هو عامل مؤثر.

Article 10 (A) raised the legal marriage age to 18 from the age of 15. However, Paragraph B of Article 10 carves out discretion for the Judge, upon approval of the Chief Justice, to permit the marriage of anyone who is at least 16 years old if it is deemed to be in his or her best interest based on the Judge’s determination. The person would also acquire a legal capacity in relation to marriage and divorce matters. Article 11 expressly forbids the formation of a marriage agreement where the man is more than 20 years older than the woman, except in the circumstance where the judge has verified the woman’s consent. Before authorizing a marriage, Article 13 requires that: 1) the man has the financial capacity to pay his fiancée’s dowry; 2) the man has the financial capacity to provide marital alimony; and 3) the man disclose to his fiancée that he is already married to another woman; and 4) the court inform the man’s wife or wives of the new marriage contract. In addition, according to Article 21, for a marriage to be valid, the man has to be compatible with the woman in terms of religion and financial capacity. Financial capacity is determined by the capacity to provide dowry promptly and marital alimony if necessary. Article 19 provides that women over the age 18 may marry without the consent of their guardian, if they are of sane mind. Article 37 further allows women to make any stipulations in her marriage contract as she desires, as long as these are not prohibited by Sharia law, do not affect the rights of others, and are not otherwise unlawful. These could include that the husband not prevent her from working outside the home or expel her from the country. Violations of such legal stipulations may result in the nullification of the marriage, and she would be entitled to all her rights associated to the marriage. Not providing marital alimony to the wife (Article 115), and the absence of the husband for a year or more when his place of residence is known (Article 119), not providing marital dowry (Article 139) are all valid grounds for nullifying the marriage according to this Law.

رفعت الفقرة (أ) من المادة 10 سن الزواج ليصبح 18 عام بعدما كان 15 عام، إلا أن الفقرة (ب) من ذات المادة جعلت هناك حالات خاصة يمكن للقاضي فيها السماح بالزواج لمن بلغ عمر 16 عام وذلك في حال كان الزواج ضرورة تقتضيه المصلحة، بعد موافقة قاضي القضاة، وفقًا لتعليمات يصدرها لهذه الغاية. ويكتسب، من تزوج وفق ما سبق، الأهلية الكاملة في كل ما يتعلق بالزواج والفرقة وآثارهما. أما المادة 11 فقد منعت الرجل من عقد زواج على امرأة يكبرها بأكثر من 20 عام دون تأكد القاضي من رضاها واختيارها. بينما أشارت المادة 13 إلى أنه يجب على القاضي التأكد من عدة أمور قبل إجراء عقد زواج المتزوج وهي قدر الزوج المالية على المهر وعلى الإنفاق على ما تجب عليه النفقة، بالإضافة إلى معرفة المخطوبة أن خاطبها متزوج بأخرى. كما أوجبت ذات المادة على المحكمة إبلاغ الزوجات الآوائل بعقد الزواج الجديد بعد إتمامه وذلك بحسب قانون أصول المحاكمات الشرعية. كما نصت المادة 21 أن الكفاءة قس الدين والمال بين المرأة والرجل هي شرط للزوم الزواج، وكفاءة المال تقاس بقدرة الزوج على المهر المعجل ونفقة الزوجة. وبينت المادة 19 أن موافقة الولي لا تشترط في زواج المرأة الثيب العاقلة المتجاوزة من العمر 18 سنة. وذكرت المادة 37 إلى أنه إذا اشترطت الزوجة على زوجها شرطًا تتحق لها به مصلحة غير محظورة شرعًا ولا يمس حق غيرها، مثل أن لا يخرجها من بلدها أو عدم الزواج بغيرها أو أن لا يمنعها من العمل، يعتبر الشرط صحيح وعدم الوفاء بالشروط فسخ العقد بطلب الزوجة ولها أن تطالب بسائر الحقوق الزوجية. عدم تزويد المرأة بالنفقة الزوجية (مادة 115)، وغياب الزوج عن زوجته سنة فأكثر مع معرفة مكان إقامته (مادة 119)، وعجز الزوج عن دفع المهر بعضه أو كله، جميعها أسباب تجعل للمرأة الحق في أن تطلب من القاضي فسخ الزواج.

Article 267 of the Penal Code provides for a punishment of rigorous imprisonment (meaning imprisonment with hard labor) for anyone who rapes a woman, which shall be permanent if the perpetrator is a “Specified Perpetrator, meaning an ancestor of the victim, other person responsible for her upbringing or having power over her, or a paid servant of the victim or the perpetrator . Article 267 does not address rape of men. Article 268, however, is gender-neutral. It prescribes three to seven years of rigorous imprisonment with hard labor for indecent assault of a person by force or threat, or an attempt to do so. The punishment for indecent assault may increase if (i) the victim was less than 16 years old, or (ii) the perpetrator is a Specified Perpetrator. The punishment for indecent assault increases to permanent rigorous imprisonment with hard labor when a Special Perpetrator indecently assaults a person under 16 years old. Finally, Article 269 provides that anyone who indecently assaults a minor under 18 years of age without force or punishment is subject to imprisonment. If the victim was less than seven years of age or the perpetrator is a Specified Perpetrator, the penalty is rigorous imprisonment with hard labor. Article 290 provides that kidnapping a woman is punished with permanent rigorous imprisonment with hard labor. If the kidnapper also rapes the woman, the sentence is death. English translation available here.

Article 11 requires that the state guarantee equality between women and men in all civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. The state must work to adopt measures ensuring the proportional representation of women in the houses of parliament, as determined by the constitution. In addition, the state must ensure women’s rights in pursuing public employment, employment in the senior management of the state, and appointment in judicial agencies without discrimination. The state is committed to the protection of women against all forms of violence and guarantees the empowerment of women in reconciling familial duties and professional obligations. Article 53 mandates that all citizens enjoy equality under the law, equally in their rights, freedoms, and general obligations, without discrimination on the basis of religion, faith, sex, origin, race, color, language, disability, economic status, political affiliation, geography, or otherwise. Such discrimination, as well as the incitement of hate, constitutes a crime punishable under the law. The state is committed to adopting the necessary measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination, and the law establishes a special independent commission to this end. English translation available at: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Egypt_2014.pdf.

The legislation generally serves to protect all male and female employees. Specifically targeting the protection of women, Article 6(4) states that female employees shall not perform work that, by its very nature, may hold specific dangers for women. Alternatively, women may only perform such work with certain restrictions or measures that prevent such risks. The Federal Ministry of Labor shall specify those works in a separate regulation (Article 18 no. 2).

Dieses Gesetz dient grundsätzlich dem Schutz sowohl von männlichen als auch weiblichen Angestellten. Spezifisch auf den Schutz von Frauen geht Artikel 6 Abs. 4 ein. Hiernach dürfen Frauen Arbeiten, die eine spezifische Gefahr für sie beinhalten nicht oder nur unter Bedingungen oder Einschränken ausführen, die diese besondere Gefahr vermeiden. Diese Arbeiten sollen von dem Bundesministerium für Arbeit in einer separaten Verordnung festgehalten werden (Artikel 18 Ziff. 2).

This law amended the definition of sexual harassment in the French Criminal Code and increased the maximum penalties for sexual harassment. The definition of sexual harassment became broader and more precise, encompassing the imposition upon a person, in a repeated manner, of words or behaviors of a sexual nature, which either violate a person’s dignity due to their humiliating or degrading nature or create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive situation. The use of any pressure, even on a one-off basis, for the real or apparent purpose of obtaining a sexual favor was also assimilated to the definition of sexual harassment.

Cette loi modifie la définition du harcèlement sexuel dans le Code Pénale Français et augmente la peine maximum pour le harcèlement sexuel. La définition de harcèlement sexuel s’élargit et devient plus précis, encadrant l’imposition sur une personne, d’une manière répétée, de mots ou d’actions d’une nature sexuelle, qui enfreint la dignité d’une personne à cause de la nature humiliante ou dégradante de ces propos, ou crée une situation d’intimidation, d’hostilité, ou une situation offensante. L’utilisation de pression, même une seule fois, pour le but d’obtenir une faveur sexuelle est aussi assimilé à la définition de harcèlement sexuel.

Article 11 amended the French Criminal Code to recognize that a spouse can commit rape against their spouse. It also states that the presumption that a spouse has consent to sexual acts within the matrimonial relationship only continues until proof to the contrary. Furthermore, in sentencing a person convicted of rape, the fact that the victim is the accused’s spouse does not affect the application of rape sentencing guidelines. Article 14 amended the French Criminal Code to allow for the prosecution of female genital mutilation committed abroad on a minor victim legally residing in France. This paralleled a legal shift making female genital mutilation an exception to medical confidentiality that must be reported to the police, social services, and administrative services.

Article 11 modifie le Code Pénal Français, pour reconnaître qu’un conjoint peut commettre le viol contre leur conjoint. L’article conclut que le fait qu’un conjoint a consenti à des actes sexuels durant leur relation matrimoniale ne continue que jusqu’à preuve du contraire. Par ailleurs, durant la période d’imposition de peine, le fait que la victime de viol est le conjoint de l’accusé n’affecte pas le besoin de suivre les directives légales d’années de peines pour viol. Article 14 a modifié le Code Pénal Français pour permettre la poursuite en justice de tout acte de mutilations sexuelles féminines fait à l’étranger sur une victime mineur résident habituellement sur le territoire Français. Cette décision est prise en parallèle à d’autres modifications de lois, faisant que tout acte de mutilations sexuelles féminines est une exception au privilège médical, et qu’il faut informer la police, les services sociaux, et administratifs.

The French Parliament modified the Labor Code through Article 8, which protected any candidates for recruitment, internships, and training periods against sanction, dismissal, or discrimination on the basis of sexual harassment. Before the article modified the Labor Code, only employees were protected under the relevant section of the French Labor Code. The law also specified the types of discrimination covered, which are all forms of direct or indirect discrimination, in regards to any remuneration, training, upgrading, posting, status, staff category, promotion, transfer, and renewal of contract.

Le Parlement Français a modifié le Code du Travail avec Article 8, qui protège tout candidat pour tout recrutement, stage, et période de formation contre la sanction, la licence ou la discrimination sur la base du harcèlement sexuel. Avant que l’article ne modifie le Code du Travail, ce n’était que les employés qui étaient protégés sous la section pertinente du Code du Travail. La loi aussi spécifie les formes de discrimination couvertes, qui inclut toute forme de discrimination directe ou indirecte, en particulier avec respect à la rémunération, la formation, le reclassement, d’affectation, de qualification, de classification, de promotion personnelle, de mutation, ou de renouvellement de contrat.

The Criminal and Criminal Procedural Codes of Ukraine were amended in December 2017 to adopt provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). As a result of these amendments, new dangerous acts were criminalized. For example, Article 151-2 supplemented the special part of the Criminal Code of Ukraine by providing criminal liability for forced marriage. Forced marriage (meaning coercing a person to marry, to continue a forcible marriage, to enter into cohabitation without marriage, to continue cohabitation, or to move to a territory other than that in which they reside, regardless of citizenship) is punishable by arrest for a term of up to six months, by restriction of liberty for a term of up to three years, or by imprisonment for the same term. Article 126-1 supplemented the special part of the Criminal Code by providing criminal liability for domestic violence. Domestic violence (meaning intentional systematic physical, psychological, or economic violence against a spouse or ex-spouse or another person with whom an offender has had a family or close relationship) is punishable by community service of up to 150-240 hours, or arrest for up to six months, restriction of liberty for up to five years, or imprisonment for up to two years. A new chapter, “Restrictions,” established that, in the interests of domestic violence victims, the convicted person might be (i) banned from living with a person who suffered from domestic violence or (ii) restricted in communications with their child if the child was a victim or observer of domestic violence. In addition, these amendments provide criminal liability for failure to comply with restrictive measures, which is punishment with arrest for up to six months or restriction of liberty for up to two years. Finally, consent is valid if it is a person's exercise of free will, in consideration of attending circumstances.

У грудні 2017 року до Кримінального та Кримінально-процесуального кодексів України були внесені зміни з метою закріплення положень Конвенції Ради Європи «Про запобігання насильству щодо жінок і домашньому насильству та боротьбу з ними» (Стамбульська конвенція), прийнятої у 2011 році. У результаті цих змін нові суспільно небезпечні діяння були криміналізовані. Наприклад, особливу частину Кримінального кодексу України доповнено статтею 151-2, яка передбачає кримінальну відповідальність за примушення до шлюбу. Примусовий шлюб (тобто примушування особи до вступу в шлюб або до продовження примусово укладеного шлюбу, або до вступу у співжиття без укладання шлюбу, або до продовження такого співжиття, або спонукання з цією метою особи до переміщення на територію іншої держави, ніж та, в якій вона проживає (там «проживає» означає постійне місце проживання в певному місці, не обов’язково пов’язане з громадянством) карається арештом на строк до шести місяців або обмеженням волі на строк до трьох років, або позбавленням волі на той самий строк. Також у 2017 році особливу частину Кримінального кодексу України було доповнено статтею 126-1, яка передбачає кримінальну відповідальність за домашнє насильство. Домашнє насильство (тобто умисне систематичне вчинення фізичного, психологічного або економічного насильства щодо подружжя чи колишнього подружжя або іншої особи, з якою винний перебуває (перебував) у сімейних або близьких відносинах, що призводить до фізичних або психологічних страждань, розладів здоров’я, втрати працездатності, емоційної залежності або погіршення якості життя потерпілої особи) караються громадськими роботами на строк від 150 до 240 годин, або арештом на строк до шести місяців, або обмеженням волі на строк до п'яти років, або позбавлення волі на строк до двох років. Додано новий розділ «Обмежувальні заходи». Встановлено, що в інтересах потерпілого від злочину, пов'язаного з домашнім насильством, на засудженого можуть бути покладені такі обов'язки: заборона перебувати в спільному місці проживання з жертвою; обмеження спілкування з дитиною у разі вчинення насильства в сім'ї щодо дитини або в її присутності; крім того, ці зміни передбачають кримінальну відповідальність за невиконання обмежувальних заходів (покарання у вигляді арешту на строк до шести місяців або обмеження волі на строк до двох років). Примітка: Згода вважається добровільною, якщо вона є результатом вільного волевиявлення особи, з урахуванням супутніх обставин.

Article 302 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine states that creating or running brothels, and also procuring people for sex work in brothels, shall be punishable by a fine of 1,000-2,000 tax-free minimum incomes or restriction of liberty for up to two years. Article 302 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine states that creating or running brothels, and procurement, shall be punishable by a fine of 1,000-2,000 tax-free minimum incomes or restriction of liberty for up to two years. Article 303 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine prohibits engaging a person in prostitution or compulsion to engage in prostitution, involving deceit, blackmail or vulnerable state of a person, with imposition of violence or threat of violence, or pimping. If breached, the penalty is imprisonment for a term of three to five years. Under this Article, pimping shall mean any action of a person committed for the purpose of engaging another person in prostitution.

Статтею 302 Кримінального кодексу України передбачено, що створення або утримання місць розпусти, а також звідництво для розпусти караються штрафом від 1000 до 2000 неоподатковуваних мінімумів доходів громадян або обмеженням волі на строк до двох років. Статтею 303 Кримінального кодексу України забороняється втягнення особи в заняття проституцією або примушування її до зайняття проституцією з використанням обману, шантажу чи уразливого стану цієї особи, або із застосуванням чи погрозою застосування насильства, або сутенерство. У разі вчинення дій, що криміналізовані цією статтею, передбачено покарання у вигляді позбавлення волі на строк від трьох до п'яти років. Відповідно до цієї статті під сутенерством слід розуміти дії особи по забезпеченню заняття проституцією іншою особою.

The Criminal Code of Ukraine Article 300 prohibits the importation, manufacture or distribution of works that promulgate violence and cruelty, racial, national or religious intolerance and discrimination. Importation into Ukraine for sale or distribution purposes, or manufacture, storage, transportation or other movement for the same purposes, or sale or distribution of works (and also compelling others to participate in the creation of such works) that promulgate discrimination, among other things, are criminalized by Article 300. These dangerous culpable acts shall be punishable by a fine of 1,000-4,000 tax-free minimum incomes, or arrest for a term of up to six months, or restriction of liberty for a term of up to three years. Committing the same actions with regard to motion pictures and video films that promulgate discrimination, and also selling works that promulgate discrimination, to minors or distribution of such works among minors are as aggravating circumstances.

Ввезення в Україну творів, що пропагують, серед іншого, дискримінацію, з метою збуту чи розповсюдження або їх виготовлення, зберігання, перевезення чи інше переміщення з тією самою метою або їх збут чи розповсюдження (а також примушування до участі в їх створенні) криміналізовано статтею 300. Ці небезпечні винні дії караються штрафом від 1000 до 4000 неоподатковуваних мінімумів доходів громадян або арештом на строк до шести місяців, або обмеженням волі на строк до трьох років. Ті самі дії щодо кіно- та відеопродукції, що пропагують дискримінацію, а також збут такої продукції неповнолітнім чи розповсюдження серед них творів, що пропагують дискримінацію є кваліфікуючою ознакою цього злочину, що обтяжує покарання.

Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine provides criminal liability for trafficking in human beings, as well as recruitment, movement, concealment, transfer, or receipt of a person committed for the purpose of exploitation, coercion, abduction, fraud, blackmail, material, or other dependence of the victim, their vulnerable condition or bribery of a third-party controlling victim, to obtain consent for their exploitation. A person who commits such socially dangerous acts shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of three to eight years. Article 149 defines exploitation of a human being as including, among other things, all forms of the sexual exploitation, forcing someone to work in the pornography industry, forced pregnancy or forced termination of pregnancy, forced marriage, etc. The Article also provides an explanation of a person's “vulnerable state” (i.e., physical or mental properties or external circumstances, that eliminate or limit the ability to realize their acts (omission) or to control them, to take independent decisions, to resist the violent or other unlawful actions, the coincidence of difficult personal, family, or other circumstances).

Стаття 149 Кримінального кодексу України передбачає кримінальну відповідальність за торгівлю людьми, а так само вербування, переміщення, переховування, передачу або одержання людини, вчинені з метою експлуатації, з використанням примусу, викрадення, обману, шантажу, матеріальної чи іншої залежності потерпілого, його уразливого стану або підкупу третьої особи, яка контролює потерпілого, для отримання згоди на його експлуатацію. Особа, яка вчинила вищезгадані суспільно небезпечні діяння, карається позбавленням волі на строк від трьох до восьми років. Згідно примітки до цієї статті під експлуатацією людини, серед іншого, розуміються всі форми сексуальної експлуатації, використання в порнобізнесі, примусову вагітність або примусове переривання вагітності, примусове одруження тощо. У примітці також надається визначення поняття "уразливий стан особи" (тобто це зумовлений фізичними чи психічними властивостями або зовнішніми обставинами стан особи, який позбавляє або обмежує її здатність усвідомлювати свої дії (бездіяльність) або керувати ними, приймати за своєю волею самостійні рішення, чинити опір насильницьким чи іншим незаконним діям, збіг тяжких особистих, сімейних або інших обставин).

This law serves as Paraguay’s Labor Code, which contains provisions that prohibit any gender-based discrimination in the workplace and guarantee the equal treatment between men and women, such as Articles 47 and 128. In turn, article 130 prohibits employers to assign risky labors to pregnant women. Articles 133 and 134 provide rights for lactating women, including requiring maternity leave and lactating rooms within the company.

Esta ley contiene el Código Laboral de Paraguay, el cual fija disposiciones que prohíben cualquier discriminación basada en el género en el lugar de trabajo y garantizan la igualdad de trato entre hombres y mujeres, como los artículos 47 y 128. A su vez, el artículo 130 prohíbe a los empleadores asignar labores riesgosas a mujeres embarazadas. Los artículos 133 y 134 prevén derechos para las mujeres lactantes, incluido el requisito de licencia por maternidad y salas de lactancia dentro de la empresa.

This law promotes protection for victims of domestic violence who have suffered physical or psychological aggression from any of the members of the family, whether or not they cohabitate. Protection orders, as precautionary measures, shall be granted by a ‘Peace Judge’ (Juez de Paz). This law also regulates other support measures for the victim-survivor, such as the immediate attention and health care by the public health agencies.

Esta ley promueve la protección de las víctimas de violencia doméstica que hayan sufrido agresiones físicas o psíquicas por parte de alguno de los miembros de la familia, convivan o no. Las órdenes de protección, como medidas cautelares, serán otorgadas por un Juez de Paz. Esta ley también regula otras medidas de apoyo a la víctima-sobreviviente, como la atención inmediata y el cuidado de la salud por parte de los organismos públicos de salud.

This law promotes, protects, and supports motherhood and breastfeeding for working women, up to 24 months of age, to ensure the proper care of the children. On this note, every pregnant worker shall have the right to access a maternity leave, for a period of 18 uninterrupted weeks, regardless the type of contract under which she provides a service. This leave will be extended to 24 weeks in cases of baby’s severe diseases or premature births. Mothers have the right to receive their regular salary during maternity leave.

Esta ley promueve, protege y apoya la maternidad y lactancia de la mujer trabajadora, hasta los 24 meses de edad del menor, asegurando el cuidado adecuado de los hijos. En este sentido, toda trabajadora embarazada tendrá derecho a acceder a la licencia de maternidad, por un período de 18 semanas ininterrumpidas, independientemente del tipo de contrato bajo el cual preste un servicio. Este permiso se extenderá a 24 semanas en caso de enfermedades graves del bebé o parto prematuro. Las madres tienen derecho a recibir su salario regular durante la licencia de maternidad.

Article 48 states that both men and women have equal civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. Articles 49 to 59 protect the family and the rights of each member of its members. In turn, article 60 states that government authorities must promote public policies to prevent any kind of violence within the family unit. Article 89 provides for special labor protections for pregnant and lactating women, who cannot be dismissed by their employers. Article 115 supports peasant woman by allowing their participation in public debates on rural matters. Article 117 promotes the right of women to access public positions and perform as public servants.

El artículo 48 establece que tanto hombres como mujeres tienen los mismos derechos civiles, políticos, sociales, económicos y culturales. Los artículos 49 a 59 protegen la familia y los derechos de cada uno de sus miembros. A su vez, el artículo 60 establece que las autoridades gubernamentales deben promover políticas públicas para prevenir cualquier tipo de violencia dentro de la unidad familiar. El artículo 89 prevé protecciones laborales especiales para las mujeres embarazadas y lactantes, que no pueden ser despedidas por sus empleadores. El artículo 115 apoya a la mujer campesina al permitir su participación en los debates públicos sobre asuntos rurales. El artículo 117 promueve el derecho de las mujeres a acceder a cargos públicos y desempeñarse como servidoras públicas.

This Decree adopted the National Public Policy of Gender Equity (‘Política Pública Nacional de Equidad de Género’). It aims for the development of specific plans and programs that guarantee the rights of forcibly displaced women, including their right to a violence-free life. The policy also acknowledged the importance of the differential approach from the gender perspective, taking into account the particularities arising out of urban and rural context, Afro-Colombian, indigenous, and peasant women. In turn, the Decree created a cross-sectional commission in charge of the coordinating the implementation and technical and operational follow-up of the National Public Policy on Gender Equality.

Este Decreto adoptó la Política Pública Nacional de Equidad de Género. Esta tiene como objetivo el desarrollo de planes y programas específicos que garanticen los derechos de las mujeres que han sido desplazadas forzosamente, incluyendo su derecho a una vida libre de violencia. La política también reconoció la importancia del enfoque diferencial desde la perspectiva de género, tomando en cuenta las particularidades que surgen del contexto urbano y rural, las mujeres afrocolombianas, indígenas y campesinas. A su vez, el Decreto creó una comisión transversal encargada de coordinar la implementación y el seguimiento técnico y operativo de la Política Pública Nacional de Igualdad de Género.

This law modified articles 236, 239, 57, and 58 of the Labor Code, among other provisions to establish special labor protections for pregnant and lactating women. The law prohibits the dismissal of pregnant or lactating women without cause and without prior permission of a labor inspector. It also granted women the right to receive their regular salary during a 14-week maternity leave.

Esta ley modificó los artículos 236, 239, 57 y 58 del Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, entre otras disposiciones. Su intención es establecer protecciones laborales reforzadas para las mujeres embarazadas y lactantes. En esta medida, la ley establece la prohibición de despedir a una mujer embarazada o lactante sin causa y sin permiso previo de un inspector de trabajo. También otorgó a las mujeres el derecho a recibir su salario regular durante una licencia de maternidad de 14 semanas.

This law enacted rules for the prevention and sanction of several forms of violence and discrimination against women. It established provisions that guarantee all women i) a life free of violence, both in the public and private sectors, ii) the exercise of their rights granted both by the domestic and the international legal systems, iii) access to administrative and judicial procedures for protection and attention, and iv) the adoption of public policies against violence and discrimination.

Esta ley promulgó normas para la prevención y sanción de diversas formas de violencia y discriminación contra la mujer. Estableció disposiciones que garantizan a todas las mujeres i) una vida libre de violencia, tanto en el sector público como en el privado, ii) el ejercicio de los derechos que les otorgan tanto el ordenamiento jurídico interno como el internacional, iii) el acceso a los procedimientos administrativos y judiciales para su protección y atención, y iv) la adopción de políticas públicas contra la violencia y la discriminación.

This law establishes rules that further develop equal opportunities for women. It establishes guidelines for the design of public policies that foster and guarantee the full exercise of women’s political, civil, economic, social, and cultural rights, and the free development of their personality, capacities, and aptitudes. The law also appoints the institutions responsible for their execution.

Esta ley consagra reglas que desarrollan la igualdad de oportunidades para las mujeres. Establece lineamientos para el diseño de políticas públicas que propicien y garanticen el pleno ejercicio de los derechos políticos, civiles, económicos, sociales y culturales de las mujeres, y el libre desarrollo de su personalidad, capacidades y aptitudes. La ley también designa las instituciones encargadas de su ejecución.

This law serves as the basis for the Colombian Criminal Code, it enumerates conducts that constitute crimes and their sanctions. The code sets forth several gender-related crimes. Article 104A criminalizes femicide, meaning the killing of women because they are female. Article 123 sanctions people who forcibly terminate a pregnancy. Article 187 prohibits forcing in-vitro treatments on women against their will. Article 229 regulates domestic violence offenses. Articles 208 and following criminalize rape and establish aggravating circumstances including, among others, if the victim is under 14 years old, if the victim is incapable of defending him or herself, if the abuser used violence and if the abuse was held within the household. Article 116 A prohibits the use of chemical agents or corrosive substances that cause injuries or harm when they come into contact with human tissue. Finally, for some crimes, the code treats as an aggravating circumstance the fact that the victim is a woman. Law 1719 of June 18, 2014 modified and expanded these provisions.

Esta ley que contiene el Código Penal colombiano enumera las conductas que constituyen delitos y sus sanciones. El código establece varios delitos relacionados con el género. El artículo 104A tipifica como delito el feminicidio, es decir, el asesinato de mujeres solo por el hecho de ser mujeres. El artículo 123 sanciona a las personas que obligan a la mujer a interrumpir su embarazo. El artículo 187 prohíbe realizar tratamientos in vitro a mujeres en contra de su voluntad. El artículo 229 regula el delito de violencia doméstica. Los artículos 208 y siguientes tipifican como delito la violación y establecen circunstancias agravantes que incluyen, entre otras, que la víctima sea menor de 14 años, que sea incapaz de defenderse por sí misma, si el abusador usó violencia y si el abuso se llevó a cabo dentro del hogar. El artículo 116 A prohíbe el uso de agentes químicos o sustancias corrosivas que causen lesiones o daños cuando entren en contacto con tejidos humanos. Finalmente, para algunos delitos, el código trata como circunstancia agravante el hecho de que la víctima sea mujer. La Ley 1719 de junio 18, 2014 modificó y amplió algunas de estas disposiciones.

Law 82 provides support measures for women serving as heads of the family unit or household. The law is intended to guarantee adequate living conditions and promote equity and social participation of women. Assistance is provided in the form of education, health, housing, credit incentive benefits, among others.

La Ley 82 establece medidas de apoyo a las mujeres que se desempeñan como madres cabeza de familia. La ley tiene por objeto garantizar condiciones de vida adecuadas y promover la equidad y la participación social de las mujeres. La asistencia se brinda en forma de beneficios de educación, salud, vivienda, incentivos crediticios, entre otros.

The 2015 Marriage Act enacted the Thirty-Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland into law, which legalized same-sex marriage. Previously, same-sex couples could enter into civil partnerships under the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. The Marriage Act amended the Civil Registration Act 2004, inter alia, by adding a provision that allows anything that applies to marriage between two people of the opposite sex to apply to marriage between people of the same sex (Section 5). The Act also provides that nothing therein obliges a religious body to recognize a particular form of marriage ceremony or to solemnize a marriage (Section 7). It also provides for the recognition of certain foreign marriages and registered foreign relationships (Sections 12 and 13) and amends the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 to allow a married couple of the same sex to adopt a child (Section 16).

The Ministry of Education encourages the integration of sex education into the content of subject curricula and non-formal education. This leaves considerable discretion to schools and teachers in presenting the topic. Moreover, the program aims to prepare for “the creation of marriage and a harmonious family,” seeking to encourage the association of sexuality expression with “fertility and the possibility of having children in the future.” The decree dictates that it is not permissible to present the use of birth control as an equivalent alternative to abstinence. Furthermore, there is no ascertainable mention of LGBTIQ inclusivity in the curriculum.

Švietimo ministerija skatina lytinio švietimo integravimą į dalykinių programų ir neformaliojo švietimo turinį. Tai palieka didelę savo nuožiūrą mokykloms ir mokytojams pristatant šią temą. Be to, šia programa siekiama parengti „santuokos ir darnios šeimos kūrimui“ ir skatinti seksualumo išraiškos siejimą su „vaisingumu ir galimybe turėti vaikų ateityje“. Įsakyme taip pat nurodoma, kad kontracepcijos naudojimo negalima pateikti kaip lygiavertės alternatyvos abstinencijai. Be to, nėra aiškiai paminėtas LGBTIQ temų įtraukimas į mokymo programą.

In 2015, the Lithuanian Military Code of Ethics was amended to include the obligation to “respect and protect the dignity and fundamental rights and freedoms of every human being, regardless of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, social status, religion, belief, opinion, age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, religion.” The original version did not expressly include protection against discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation.

Lietuvos karo etikos kodeksas buvo pakeistas 2015 m. įtraukiant pareigą „gerbti ir ginti kiekvieno žmogaus orumą bei pagrindines teises ir laisves, neatsižvelgiant į jo lytį, rasę, tautybę, kalbą, kilmę, socialinę padėtį, tikėjimą, įsitikinimus ar pažiūras, amžių, lytinę orientaciją, negalią, etninę priklausomybę, religiją“. Pirminėje versijoje nebuvo aiškiai numatyta apsauga nuo diskriminacijos dėl lyties ar seksualinės orientacijos.

The legislation implements the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the Lithuanian Parliament ratified in 1995. The Act sets out the rights of a child and defines neglect, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. In 2019, the text was amended to include a clause on the prioritization of biological family, which means that the separation of children and parents against their will is only allowed in “extreme cases,” where it is “unavoidable and necessary to protect a child from real danger to his physical and psychological security, health, or life and when there is no other recourse to achieve such protection.”

Šiuo teisės aktu įgyvendinama Jungtinių Tautų Vaiko Teisių konvencija, kurią Lietuvos Seimas ratifikavo 1995 metais. Šis įstatymas nustato vaiko teises ir apibrėžia nepriežiūrą, fizinę, psichologinę ir seksualinę prievartą. Tekstas buvo iš dalies pakeistas 2019 m., įtraukiant nuostatą dėl biologinės šeimos prioriteto, kuri reiškia, kad vaikų ir tėvų atskyrimas prieš jų valią leidžiamas tik „kraštutiniais atvejais“, kai „neišvengiama ir būtina apsaugoti vaiką nuo realaus pavojaus jo fiziniam ir psichologiniam saugumui, sveikatai ar gyvybei ir kai nėra kitų priemonių tokiai apsaugai pasiekti“.

This Act aims to protect any persons who are victims of domestic violence, including persons having a common household. It also defines “violence” as “intentional physical, mental, sexual, economic, or other influence exerted upon a person by act or omission, due to which the person suffers physical, material, or non-pecuniary damage.” Under the Act, victims do not have to submit a private complaint, but public prosecutors must charge the offenders. In addition, the victim of domestic abuse has the right to receive specialized support such as consulting a psychologist or receiving legal assistance. English translation available here.

Šiuo įstatymu siekiama apsaugoti visus asmenis, kurie yra smurto artimoje aplinkoje aukos, įskaitant asmenis, turinčius bendrą namų ūkį. Šis įstatymas taip pat apibrėžia jog „smurtas“ yra tiek veikimu, tiek neveikimu atliekamas „tyčinis fizinis, psichinis, seksualinis, ekonominis ar kitas poveikis, dėl kurio asmuo patiria fizinę, turtinę ar neturtinę žalą“. Pagal įstatymą nukentėjusiesiems nereikia pateikti privataus skundo, tačiau prokurorai privalo pateikti kaltinimus pažeidėjams. Be to, smurto artimoje aplinkoje auka turi teisę gauti specializuotą kompleksinę psichologo, teisinę ir kitą pagalbą.

The Labor Code confers upon the employer a duty to implement gender equality and non-discrimination principles, which include equal selection criteria, working conditions, benefits, work evaluation criteria, and remuneration for employees. Moreover, eligible employees are entitled to pregnancy and childbirth leave, amounting to 70 calendar days before and 56 calendar days after childbirth. Also, an employer cannot present a termination notice without mutual agreement to an employee they know to be pregnant until the day the baby turns four months old. In addition, employers with more than 50 employees must publish the measures, implementation, and enforcement of their equal opportunities’ strategy. English translation available here.

Darbo kodeksas įpareigoja darbdavį įgyvendinti lyčių lygybės ir nediskriminavimo principus, kurie apima vienodus atrankos kriterijus, darbo sąlygas, išmokas, darbo vertinimo kriterijus ir darbuotojų atlyginimą. Be to, reikalavimus atitinkantys darbuotojai turi teisę į nėštumo ir gimdymo atostogas, kurios sudaro 70 kalendorinių dienų iki gimdymo ir 56 kalendorines dienas po gimdymo. Darbdavys negali pateikti pranešimo apie atleidimą iš darbo be abipusio susitarimo su darbuotoja, kuri jų žiniomis, yra nėščia, iki tos dienos, kai kūdikiui sukaks keturi mėnesiai. Be to, darbdaviai, turintys daugiau nei 50 darbuotojų, privalo paskelbti savo lygių galimybių strategijos priemones, įgyvendinimą ir vykdymą.

Under the Civil Code, same-sex marriages are prohibited. In case of a divorce by mutual consent, the marriage can be dissolved if over a year has elapsed, the spouses have made a contract regarding divorce consequences, and they have full active legal capacity. If a couple has children, they have equal rights and duties as parents, regardless of whether they were married, divorced, or separated. A parent cannot surrender their rights or responsibilities over underage children. An unmarried person can adopt a child only in exceptional cases, and unmarried persons may not adopt the same child. In addition, the adopter must be under the age of 50. Moreover, the Code states that an unmarried adult can change their designated gender if it is feasible medically with conditions for the change prescribed by law. Essential to mention, there is no existing legislation setting out the requirements for gender reassignment (see L. v. Lithuania, even though the case is from 2007, legislation efforts have been stalled to this day). English translation available here.

Pagal civilinį kodeksą tos pačios lyties asmenų santuokos yra draudžiamos. Santuoka gali būti nutraukta bendru sutarimu, jei praėjo daugiau nei metai, sutuoktiniai sudarė sutartį dėl santuokos nutraukimo pasekmių ir jie turi teisinį veiksnumą. Jei pora turi vaikų, jie turi lygias teises ir pareigas kaip tėvai, nepriklausomai nuo to, ar jie susituokę, išsiskyrę ar gyvena skyrium. Tėvas ar motina negali atsisakyti teisių ar pareigų savo nepilnamečiams vaikams. Nesusituokęs asmuo gali įvaikinti vaiką tik išimtiniais atvejais, o nesusituokę asmenys negali įvaikinti to paties vaiko. Be to, įvaikintojas turi būti jaunesnis nei 50 metų. Taip pat, kodekse nustatyta, kad nesusituokęs suaugęs asmuo gali pakeisti paskirtą lytį, jei tai įmanoma mediciniškai, įstatymų nustatyta tvarka. Svarbu paminėti, kad iki šiol nėra galiojančių teisės aktų, nustatančių lyties keitimo sąlygas (žr. L prieš Lietuvą).

The purpose of the Equal Opportunities Act is to prohibit any discrimination, harassment, or sexual harassment based on gender within employment, education, consumer protection, social security schemes, and involvement in organizations. It also established a duty of state and municipal institutions, educational establishments, and employers to actively implement equal rights for women and men. It defines the different types of discrimination and establishes that the burden of proving that equal rights were not violated rests within the person or institution against whom a complaint was filed. Under Article 24, a person who has suffered such discrimination has the right to demand pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages following the Civil Code. English translation available here.

Lygių galimybių įstatymo tikslas yra uždrausti bet kokią diskriminaciją, priekabiavimą ar seksualinį priekabiavimą dėl lyties darbe, švietimo institucijose, skelbimuose, socialinės apsaugos sistemoje ir organizacijose. Taip pat nustatyta valstybės ir savivaldybių institucijų, švietimo įstaigų ir darbdavių pareiga aktyviai įgyvendinti lygias moterų ir vyrų teises. Teisės akte apibrėžiamos skirtingos diskriminacijos rūšys ir nustatoma, kad pareiga įrodyti, kad lygios teisės nebuvo pažeistos, tenka asmeniui ar institucijai, prieš kurią buvo pateiktas skundas. Pagal straipsnį 24, asmuo, patyręs tokią diskriminaciją, turi teisę reikalauti turtinės ir neturtinės žalos atlyginimo pagal civilinį kodeksą.

Among other aspects, this act aims at ensuring gender equality in various areas of life, for instance, in the workplace. It addresses issues like equal opportunities for men and women as well as sexual harassment in the workplace. It also lists the authorities a person may turn to if they feel they are being discriminated against. Notable is the shift of the burden of proof in Section 25: a discrimination claimant only has to credibly substantiate the claim, whereas the defending party has to prove that there was no discrimination.

Dieses Gesetz zielt unter anderem darauf ab, die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter in verschiedenen Lebensbereichen zu gewährleisten, zum Beispiel am Arbeitsplatz. Es behandelt Themen wie Chancengleichheit für Männer und Frauen sowie sexuelle Belästigung am Arbeitsplatz. Außerdem werden die Behörden genannt, an die sich eine Person wenden kann, wenn sie sich diskriminiert fühlt. Bemerkenswert ist die Umkehr der Beweislast in Abschnitt 25: Ein Kläger, der eine Diskriminierung geltend macht, muss seine Behauptung lediglich glaubhaft machen, während die beklagte Partei beweisen muss, dass keine Diskriminierung vorlag.

Section 106(a) states that a person who coerces another person to marry or establish a registered partnership, by force or by dangerous threat or threat of breaking off family contacts, is liable to a term of imprisonment of six months to five years. The same punishment applies to the act of coercing a person or forcing a person by dangerous threat of threat of interruption or withdrawal of family contacts, to move to another state or transports them to another state, with the intention of coercing the person to marry or establish a registered partnership in such other state. If the conduct results in a suicide (including an attempt) of the victim, the term of imprisonment is 1-10 years (Section 106a(3) in connection with Section 106(2)). The principle of territoriality does not apply under Section 64(1) no. 4a – even if the location of the crime is outside of Austria, a perpetrator is liable under Austrian law when he or the victim is Austrian.

Gemäß § 106a ist eine Person mit 6 Monaten bis zu fünf Jahren Freiheitsstrafe zu bestrafen, wenn sie eine andere Person mit Gewalt oder Drohung zur Eingehung einer Ehe oder eingetragenen Lebenspartnerschaft nötigt. Dies gilt ebenso, wenn eine Person eine andere Person durch Täuschung, Gewalt oder Drohung in einen anderen Staat bewegt, wo die Eheschließung oder Eintragung einer Partnerschaft erzwungen wird. Wenn dieses Verhalten dazu führt, dass sich das Opfer umbringt oder versucht sich umzubringen, erhöht sich die Gefängnisstrafe auf 1-10 Jahre (§ 106a Abs. 3 i.V.m. § 106 Abs. 2). Das Territorialitätsprinzip findet auch hier keine Anwendung. Vielmehr gilt nach § 64 Abs. 1 Ziff. 4a, dass der Täter auch strafbar hiernach ist, wenn der Tatort außerhalb von Österreich liegt, aber das Opfer zum Beispiel österreichischer Staatsangehöriger ist.

Section 321a (1) and (3) provide that a person who holds a woman captive who has been impregnated through the use of coercion, with the intent to influence the ethnic composition of a population or to commit other serious violations of international law, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 5-15 years, or, if such an act results in the death of a person, a term of 10-20 years or life imprisonment. The abovementioned applies where such acts are performed as part of an extended or systematic attack against a civilian population.

Gemäß § 321a (1), (3) ist eine Person mit 5 bis 15 Jahren Gefängnis zu bestrafen, wenn sie im Rahmen eines systematischen und ausgedehnten Angriffskrieges gegen die Zivilbevölkerung eine Frau gefangen hält, die unter Anwendung von Zwang geschwängert wurde und dies mit dem Ziel erfolgt, die ethnische Zusammensetzung der Bevölkerung zu beeinflussen oder andere schwere Verletzungen des Internationalen Rechts vorzunehmen. Wenn die Handlung den Tod der anderen Person herbeiführt, ist die Strafe zwischen 10 und 20 Jahren oder sogar lebenslänglicher Freiheitssrafe festzusetzen.

The Federal Equality Act aims at creating equality throughout various service agreements (see Section 1) the Federal Government might have with individuals. The main body no. 1 (1. Hauptstück) focuses on the equal treatment of men and women (Section 3). Section 7(2) states that job advertisements should be written in such a way that they equally refer to both men and women and do not contain details that could lead to the conclusion that the advertisement is only for one gender. Sections 8 and 8a define sexual and gender-based harassment and emphasize that they constitute gender discrimination. Section 11 requires the promotion of equal opportunities for women. Section 11b states that, where women are underrepresented (meaning less than 50% of employees), employers must prioritize women applicants if they are equally well suited for the position as the best-suited male applicant until the percentage of employed women reaches at least 50%. Section 11c applies the same rule to job promotions. Section 11d provides that employers must prioritize female employees in participation in training and coaching measures to prepare them to assume higher-ranking and more senior positions.

Das Bundes-Gleichbehandlungsgesetz zielt darauf ab, für alle Dienstverhältnisse, die die Bundesregierung mit Einzelpersonen hat, Gleichheit zu schaffen. Das 1. Hauptstück des Gesetzes fokussiert sich auf die Gleichbehandlung von Mann und Frau (§ 3). § 7 Abs. 2 verlangt, dass Stellenausschreibungen in einer Art und Weise verfasst werden müssen, dass sie sich gleichermaßen an Männer und Frauen wenden und keine Details enthalten, die den Leser zu dem Schluss kommen lassen könnten, dass die Ausschreibung sich nur an ein Geschlecht richtet. § 8 und § 8a betonen, dass eine Diskriminierung auch in einem Fall vorliegt, in dem ein Arbeitnehmer (sexuell) belästigt wird. § 11 enthält ein Frauenförderungsgebot. In diesem Sinne gelten Frauen als unterrepräsentiert, wenn weniger als 50% der Angestellten Frauen sind. Nach § 11b müssen Frauen in unterrepräsentierten Bereichen bei der Bewerberauswahl bevorzugt behandelt werden, wenn sie für die Stelle gleichgeeignet sind wie der bestqualifizierte männliche Bewerber. Dies gilt, bis der Anteil der Frauen in diesem Bereich mindestens 50% beträgt. § 11c wendet diese Regel auch auf Beförderungen an. Nach § 11d sind weibliche Angestellte zur Teilnahme an Aus- und Weiterbildungsmaßnahmen, die zur Übernahme höherwertiger Verwendungen qualifizieren, vorrangig zuzulassen.

The legislation shall support planning, execution, and controlling of personnel allocation on the Federal level. Personnel controlling shall ensure, inter alia, gender equality (Article 1 para. 1 no. 2). Therefore, Article 5 provides that federal service authorities shall submit to the chancellor biennially a report detailing the target quota of women holding the highest remuneration levels (para. 2). If the targeted percentage ratios are not met, the relevant federal service authority shall submit to the chancellor an additional report explaining the reasons for such non-compliance by the end of the first quarter of the following year (para. 4).

Dieses Gesetz soll die Planung, Ausführung und der Kontrolle von Personenallokation auf Bundesebene unterstützen. Personalkapazitätskontrolle soll u.a. Geschlechtergleichheit sicherstellen (Art. 1 Abs. 1 Ziff. 2). Hierfür haben die haushaltsleitenden Organe gemäß Artikel 5 dem Bundeskanzler alle zwei Jahre einen Bericht vorzulegen, der detailliert auf die Zielquoten von Frauen in der höchsten Vergütungsklasse eingeht (Abs. 2). Für den Fall, dass die angestrebten Zielanteile nicht erreicht werden, müssen die Organe dem Kanzler bis zum Ende des ersten Quartals des Folgejahres einen Zusatzbericht vorlegen, der die Gründe für das Nichterreichen der Quote angibt (Abs. 4).

Article 7(1) states that all citizens are equal before the law and prohibits sex-based privileges (among other factors). Article 7(2) states that the federal government and all federal states and municipalities affirm actual equality between women and men. It further stresses that measures to achieve factual equality between women and men are legal. Regarding job titles or academic titles, Article 7(3) requires that the gendered nouns in those titles reflect the gender of the respective holder are in accordance with law. Article 14(6) states that public schools, kindergartens, and similar institutions shall be accessible to all children regardless of sex (among other factors).

Artikel 7 Abs. 1 macht deutlich, dass alle Bürger vor dem Gesetz gleich sind und verbietet gleichzeitig u.a. geschlechterbezogene Privilegien. Nach Artikel 7 Abs. 2 betonen die Bundesregierung, die Bundesstaaten sowie die Gemeinden die Gleichheit von Mann und Frau. Weiterhin betont das Gesetz, dass Maßnahmen, die dem Ziel dienen, eine faktische Gleichstellung von Mann und Frau zu erreichen, rechtmäßig sind. Betreffend Jobbezeichnungen oder akademischer Titel macht Artikel 7 Abs. 3 deutlich, dass eine geschlechterspezifische Anpassung dieser ebenso rechtmäßig ist. Artikel 14 Abs. 6 folgend müssen öffentliche Schulen, Kindergärten und vergleichbare Einrichtungen für alle Kinder egal welchen Geschlechts verfügbar sein.

In recognition of the inherent dignity and worth of each human, Article 12 requires that the State and all persons recognize and protect human rights and afford the fullest protection to the rights and views of all individuals, groups, and minorities. All persons have equal status before the law. Limitations of rights are only justifiable insofar as they ensure peaceful human interaction in the context of an open and democratic society. Article 13 requires the State to actively promote the welfare and development of the people by affirmatively adopting legislation and policies to achieve gender equality. This requires: (i) women’s full participation in all spheres of society with opportunities equal to men; (ii) the implementation of nondiscrimination principles and other measures; and (iii) the implementation of policies addressing domestic violence, personal security, maternity benefits, economic exploitation, and rights to property, among other relevant social issues. Article 22 mandates that all members of a family shall enjoy equal respect and shall be protected under law against all forms of neglect, cruelty or exploitation. No person shall be forced to enter into any marriage, and no person over the age of 18 can be prevented from entering into marriage. All provisions of this section apply to civil, customary, and other forms of marriage. Article 24 specifically guarantees that women are entitled to full and equal protection of law, and have the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of gender or marital status. This includes the following rights: (i) equal rights under civil law, including equal capacity in the realms of contracts, property, custody, decision-making regarding children, and acquisition and retaining of citizenship and nationality; and (ii) upon the dissolution of marriage, entitlement to fair disposition of jointly held property and to fair maintenance. Further, any laws that discriminate against women are invalid and legislation must affirmatively be passed to eliminate customs and practices that discriminate against women. This affirmative requirement particularly applies to practices of: sexual abuse, harassment, or violence; discrimination in work, business, or public affairs; and deprivation of property (inherited or otherwise). Article 30 provides that, while all persons have a right to the enjoyment of economic, social, cultural and political development, women in particular shall be given special consideration in regards to this right. The State must take all necessary measures for the realization of this right, including reforms aimed to eradicate social injustice and inequality. Other gender-related provisions include: the prohibition of torture, inhumane, and degrading treatment or punishment (Article 19); Article 20’s ban on all forms of discrimination; the right to education for all people (Article 25); Article 27’s prohibition of slavery, servitude, and forced labor; and Article 31’s requirement that all persons are entitled to fair wages and equal remuneration for equal value work without discrimination of any kind, especially on the basis of gender.

Article 8 provides that traffickers of adults over 18 are subject to a sentence of not less than six months, a fine of 1,000 – 5,000 (JD), or both. Human trafficking crimes for this purpose are defined in Article 3 (A)(1) to include coercion, threat or force, or through giving or receiving gifts or privileges to secure consent. Article 9 provides for a punishment consisting of temporary imprisonment with hard labor for a not less than 10 years, and a fine between 5000 – 20,000 (JD) if the victim of trafficking is a female under 18, even without any aggravating factors or the use or threat or force (as defined in Article 3). Article 10 further provides that a person will be imprisoned for up to 6 months if he or she becomes aware, by nature of her or his job, of such acts or the intent to commit Article 9 acts and does not report it. Similarly, Article 11 has provisions for juristic persons who commit such crimes stating they will be sentenced to a fine of 1,000 – 50,000 (JC) as well as potential criminal responsibility. Article 13 also provides a provision that consent of the victims is not a consideration under this Law, especially to reduce stipulated penalties in this Law.

ذكرت المادة 8 عقوبة كل من استقطب أشخاص أو نقلهم أو آواهم أو استقبلهم بغرض استغلالهم عن طريق التهديد بالقوة أو استعمالها أو غير ذلك من أشكال الاستغلال أو الاختطاف أو الاحتيال أو القسر أو الخداع (البند 1 من الفقرة أ من ذات القانون) بالحبس مدة لا تقل عن ستة أشهر أو بغرامة ما بين 1000 و5000 دينار أردني أو بكلتا هاتين العقوبتين. كما نصت المادة 9 على العقوبات التي تترتب على كل من اتجر بشخص يقل عمره عن 18 سنة ولو كان ذلك دون استعمال أي شكل من أشكال القوة الموضحة في المادة 3 من ذات القانون. وأوضحت المادة 10 أن عقوبة كل من نمى إلى علمه بحكم وظيفته بارتكاب إحدى الجرائم المنصوص عليها في المادة 9 من ذات القانون أو بوجود مخطط لارتكابها، منها الاتجار بالأشخاص الذي لم يبلغ عمرهم 18 سنة، ولم يقم بإبلاغ الجهات الرسمة ذات الاختصاص. أما المادة 11 فقد عاقبت الشخص الاعتباري المرتكب لأي جريمة منصوص عليها في هذا القانون بغرامة ما بين 10,000 و 50,000 دينار أردني. وذكرت المادة 13 أن رضى المجني عليهم أو المتضررين من جرائم الاتجار بالبشر لا يؤخذ بعين الاعتبار من أجل تخفيض أي من العقوبات المنصوص عليها في هذا القانون.

Article 6 (1) states that all Jordanians are “equal before the law” and that there shall be no discrimination between them in rights and duties on the basis of race, language, or religion. This is an overarching provision, without explicit mention of gender, however it does provide a basis for equality for “all” Jordanians. Article 6 does not apply to Muslim personal status matters, which are instead governed by the Jordanian Personal Status Law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the Shari’ah courts (Article 103 (2) of the Jordanian Constitution).

ورد في الفقرة الأولى من المادة السادسة أن الأردنيون متاسوون في الحقوق والواجبات وإن اختلفت أعراقهم ولغاتهم وأديانهم. من الجدير بالذكر أنه وعلى الرغم من أن الفقرة لم تحدد الجنس كعامل فارق، إلا أن المادة جات عامة لتشكل جميع الأردنيين. لا تنطبق هذه المادة على قضايا الأحوال الشخصية، حيث أنها تخضع لقانون الأحوال الشخصية الأردني تحت اختصاص محاكم الشريعة الإسلامية.

The Penal Code includes the follow aggravating circumstances if a crime involves discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, place of birth, sex, sexual orientation, sexual harassment, belief or religion, political or ideological convictions, social ideological convictions, social status or origin, or any other form of discrimination.

O Código Penal inclui as seguintes circunstâncias agravantes: se o crime envolve discriminação com base em raça, cor, etnia, local de nascença, sexo, orientação sexual, assédio sexual, crença ou religião, convicção política ou ideológica, convicção ideológica social, status social ou origem, ou qualquer outra forma de discriminação.

The Penal Code distinguishes and applies different penalties in accordance with the age of the minor. Pursuant to article 192, the prohibition of the perpetration of a sexual act with a minor under 14 years old or leading that minor to practice such acts with a third person is punished with up to 12 years in prison. Again, the law makes a distinction whether the act involved penetration, in which case the maximum punishment increases to 15 years. If the minor is under the age of 16, pursuant to article 193, the perpetration of a sexual act leads to a maximum penalty of five years, which increases to eight years if there was penetration. Article 194 provides penalties for cases in which the minor is in the perpetrator’s custody.. Article 198 punishes the crime of child pornography with up to five years of imprisonment and is defined as to 1) promote, facilitate, or allow minors to participate in any kind of obscene interaction (including films, photographs, talks, recordings, etc.); 2) using minors in pornographic tapings or photos; or 3) giving such tapings, recordings, or pornographic instruments to a minor. The maximum penalty is increased to 10 years in prison in case the child pornography is produced with the intent to be spread through information systems or if the agent offers, makes available, or transmits such child pornography through information systems. An individual who acquires, obtains, or facilitates the access to child pornography is punished with up to five years of imprisonment and, if such agent practices such acts as means of profession, the maximum penalty is increased to 10 years.

O Código Penal distingue e aplica penalidades diferentes de acordo com a idade do menor. De acordo com o artigo 192, a proibição da perpetração do ato sexual com menor de 14 anos de idade ou a orientação ao menor para praticar tais atos com uma Terceira pessoa é punível com até 12 anos de prisão. Novamente, a lei faz uma distinção se o ato envolve penetração, caso em que a punição máxima aumenta para 15 anos. Se o menor tem menos de 16 anos de idade, de acordo com o artigo 193, a perpetração do ato sexual leva a uma penalidade máxima de cinco anos, que aumenta para oito anos se houve penetração. O artigo 194 prevê penalidade para casos em que o menor está sob custódia do perpetrador. O artigo 198 pune o crime de pornografia infantil com até cinco anos de prisão e é definido como 1) promover, facilitar, ou permitir que menores participem de qualquer tipo de interação obscena (incluindo filmes, fotografias, falas, gravações, etc); 2) usar menores em vídeos ou fotos pornográficos; ou 3) dar tais vídeos, gravações, ou instrumentos pornográficos a menores. A penalidade máxima aumenta até 10 anos na prisão no caso em que a pornografia infantil é produzida com a intenção de ser divulgada por meio de sistemas de informação ou se o agente oferecer, disponibilizar, ou transmitir tal pornografia infantil por meio de sistemas de informação. O indivíduo que adquire, obtém, ou facilita o acesso a pornografia infantile é punido com até cinco anos de prisão e, se esse agente pratica tais atos como meios profissionais, a penalidade máxima aumenta para 10 anos.

The law distinguishes the crimes of “sexual aggression” and “sexual aggression with penetration.” A person commits the crime of sexual aggression (article 182) if (i) he or she practices a sexual act by means of coercion, violence, or threat against someone, including a spouse, or (ii) he or she enables another person to commit such act against a third person and the sentence ranges from six months to four years of imprisonment. However, article 183 states that if the coerced sexual act involves penetration, the crime committed is “sexual aggression with penetration,” which entails a higher sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Penetration is defined as “copulation, anal or oral, oral intercourse and vaginal or anal penetration with any part of the body or objects used in circumstances of sexual involvement (article 181(c)). Additional crimes (articles 184-187) involve sexual acts committed (i) against persons with diminished capacity or those unable to consent; (ii) by taking advantage of a position or function in certain sectors or by a person in a position of authority; and (iii) by means of another person’s error. Both “ii” and “iii” carry sentences of up to three years in prison or a fine while (i) carries a sentence of up to 12 years in prison if penetration occurs. Finally, article 188 prohibits artificial procreation without the woman’s consent.

A lei distingue os crimes de “agressão sexual” e “agressão sexual com penetração”. A pessoa realiza o crime de agressão sexual (artigo 182) se (i) ele ou ela pratica ato sexual por meio de coerção, violência, ou ameaça contra alguém, incluindo um cônjuge, ou (ii) ele ou ela permite que outra pessoa realize tal ato contra uma terceira pessoa e a sentença varia entre seis meses e quatro anos de prisão. Entretanto, o artigo 183 estabelece que se o ato sexual coagido envolve penetração, o crime cometido é “agressão sexual com penetração”, que implica uma sentença de até 10 anos na prisão. Penetração é definido como “copulação, anal ou oral, relação oral e penetração anal ou vaginal com qualquer outra parte do corpo ou objetos usados em circunstâncias de envolvimento sexual (artigo 181(c)). Crimes adicionais (artigos 184-187) envolvem atos sexuais cometidos (i) contra pessoas com capacidade diminuída ou aqueles impossibilitados de consentir; (ii) ao tirar vantagem de posição ou função em certos setores ou por uma pessoa em posição de autoridade; e (iii) por meio do erro de outra pessoa. Ambos “ii” e “iii” carregam sentenças de até três anos na prisão ou multa enquanto (i) carrega sentença de até 12 anos de prisão se houver penetração. Finalmente, o artigo 188 proíbe procriação artificial sem o consentimento da mulher.

Articles 154-158 prohibit 1) anyone, without the pregnant woman’s consent, to provoke or cause a miscarriage; 2) anyone, with the pregnant woman’s consent, to perform or assist with an abortion; and 3) any pregnant woman from, by any means, participating or consenting to an abortion. These three felonies carry sentences of 2-8 years, 1-5 years, and 5 years of imprisonment, respectively. (article 154). Article 155 provides for increased sentences if the abortion harms the woman’s physical integrity or causes death. Exempt from criminal liability are abortions carried out with the pregnant woman’s consent to 1) remove the risk of death or great harm, or 2) the fetus’ life is inviable, or 3) the pregnancy is a result of rape and the abortion is done within the first 16 weeks of the pregnancy. All these circumstances must be verified and reported in writing by a doctor ahead of the interruption (article 156). It is also forbidden to promote services for the interruption of pregnancies and any "propaganda" (articles 157 and 158).

Artigos 154-158 proíbe 1) quem, sem o consentimento da mulher grávida, provocar aborto ou interrupção da gravidez; 2) quem, com o consentimento da mulher grávida, realizer aborto ou ajudá-la a fazer; e 3) a mulher gravida que, de qualquer maneira, participar ou consentir com o aborto. Esses três crimes carregam sentenças de 2-8 anos, 1-5 anos, e 5 anos de encarceramento, respectivamente (artigo 154). O artigo 155 prevê aumento de pena se o aborto lesa a integridade física da mulher ou causa a sua morte. Isentos de responsabilidade criminal são os abortos realizados com o consentimento da mulher, na medida em que 1) remove o risco de morte ou grave lesão, ou 2) a vida do feto é inviável, ou 3) a gravidez é resultado de um estupro e o aborto é feito durante as 16 primeiras semanas de gravidez. Todas essas circunstâncias devem ser verificadas e reportadas por escrito ao médico responsável pela interrupção (artigo 156). Também fica proibido promover serviços para interrupção de gravidez ou qualquer propaganda desse tipo de prática (artigos 157 e 158).

The Equal Pay Law, effective since February 2019, establishes policies and obligations aiming at the effective reduction of income inequality between men and women. To that end, the law mandates employers to develop transparent remuneration policies and creates a presumption of discrimination in case the employer does not show that an alleged pay gap was based on objective criteria.

A Lei de Igualdade de Remuneração, em vigor desde fevereiro de 2019, estabelece políticas e obrigações visando a redução efetiva da desigualdade de renda entre homens e mulheres. Para esse fim, a lei obriga os empregadores a desenvolverem políticas de remuneração transparentes e cria uma presunção de discriminação, caso o empregador não demonstre que uma suposta lacuna salarial foi baseada em critérios objetivos.

Article 240 criminalizes discrimination and incitement to hatred and violence based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity, among others. The sentence is imprisonment for one to eight years.

O artigo 240 criminaliza a discriminação e incitamento ao ódio e à violência baseado em raça, gênero, orientação sexual e identidade de gênero, entre outros. A pena é de prisão de um a oito anos.

Articles 154-A and B, 159, and 160 ban harassment (sentencing to up to three years in prison), forced marriage (sentencing to up to five years in prison), slavery (imprisonment from 5-15 years), and human trafficking (imprisonment from 3-10 years), respectively. Article 169 punishes the economic exploitation of prostitution by third parties, even though prostitution itself is not a crime in Portugal.

This section outlines the punishments for prostitution. Anyone who promotes or facilitates prostitution by a woman is subject to one-two years in prison, but anyone who promotes another’s prostitution through violence, fraud, abuse of authority, or exploitation of the other’s situation is punishable with two-eight years in prison. Whomever habitually partakes in prostitution with someone under the age of 18 can be imprisoned from two-eight years or be fined for up to one year.

Essa seção estabelece as sanções para prostituição. Aquele que promove ou facilita a prostituição de uma mulher está sujeito a um-dois anos de prisão, mas aquele promove a prostituição de outra pessoa por meio de violência, fraude, abuso de autoridade, ou exploração da situação alheia é punido com dois-oito anos de prisão. Quem habitualmente realiza prostituição com uma pessoa menor de 18 pode ser preso de dois-oito anos ou sofrer multa até um ano.

Article 160 increases the penalty for murder to 20-24 years in prison if the crime was motivated by racial, religious, or political hatred, or generated by color, ethnic, or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity of the victim.

O artigo 160 aumentou a pena para o crime de homicídio para 20-24 anos de prisão se o crime for motivado por ódio racial, religioso, ou político, ou gerado pela cor, etnia, ou origem nacional, sexo, orientação sexual, ou identidade de gênero da vítima.

The law outlines clinic conditions to perform safe abortions, provisions for post-abortion care, the situations in which abortions can be given, definitions of the different types of pregnancies and abortions, and instructions for how to handle situations in which the woman is incapable of giving a written or verbal consent. Some acceptable abortion circumstances include if the woman’s life or physical health is at risk, the pregnancy is a result of a sexual assault or failed contraceptive, or if the woman has HIV or AIDS. The law also references the ICPD (Conferências de População e Desenvolvimento) in 1994 as well as the UN World Conference in 1993 to define reproductive rights and apply it to Mozambique’s national context. It acknowledges that abortions are an ethical issue in addition to a legal issue, and so does not oblige healthcare professionals who have moral objections to carry out the procedure, except when there is a risk of life for the pregnant woman.

A lei esboça condições clínicas para realização de abortos seguros, disposições para cuidados pós-aborto, situações em que abortos podem ser realizados, definições dos diferentes tipos de gravidezes e abortos, e instruções de como lidar com situações difíceis nas quais a mulher é incapaz de dar consentimento verbal ou escrito. Algumas circunstâncias permitidas de aborto incluem se a vida da mulher ou sua saúde física estão em risco, se a gravidez é resultado de abuso sexual ou de contraceptivo que falhou, ou se a mulher tem HIV ou AIDS. A lei também referencia a ICPD (Conferências de População e Desenvolvimento) em 1994, assim como a Conferência Mundial da ONU em 1993 para definir os direitos reprodutivos e aplicá-los ao contexto nacional de Moçambique. Ela reconhece que abortos são um problema ético em adição a um problema legal, assim não obriga os profissionais da saúde que têm objeções morais a realizar o procedimento, exceto quando há risco de vida para a mulher grávida.

A person has the right to leave his or her property to one or several persons included or not included in the list of heirs under law, and has the right to deprive of an inheritance any and all of the heirs under law (including a surviving spouse) without giving a reason, in accordance with Art. 1041. Male and female heirs have the same right to inherit property in case the deceased does not leave a will, for example, the first-order heirs are the deceased’s children, surviving spouse, parents, and grandchildren, and second-order heirs are siblings and half siblings of the deceased, and their children in accordance with Arts. 1057-1061.

Under Art. 34, a marriage can be terminated upon a joint application of both spouses or at the request of one spouse. Under Art. 35, the termination of a marriage is prohibited during the pregnancy of the wife and before the child has reached the age of three without the written consent of the other spouse, unless the other spouse does not live with the child, or there is a decision determining that another person is the father of the child. In accordance with Art. 39, upon receiving a claim for divorce, the court grants the couple a three-month period to take measures for reconciliation and to reach an agreement on division of property and childcare; after the expiration of the three-month period, the court grants the divorce if it finds that “the preservation of the family has become impossible.” However, when considering the claim for divorce, the court takes measures aimed at preserving the family and may grant an additional reconciliation period of up to six months. The court decides with which of the former spouses the child/children will live and the participation in the upbringing of the child of the other parent, as well as the amount of alimony that the other parent will pay in accordance with Art. 39.

Marriage is a voluntary union between a man and a woman in accordance with Art. 12. Under Art. 18, the legal age for marriage is 18, but it can be reduced by up to three years in case of pregnancy, childbirth, or if the person has reached full legal capacity. Such reduction is carried out based on the application of the person wishing to marry and the consent of a parent or guardian is not required.

The “social indications” noted in Art. 27 of the Law “on Healthcare” that allow performing an abortion up to the 22nd week of pregnancy are: (1) court decision on deprivation of parental rights regarding another existing child; and (2) pregnancy resulting from rape.

The Resolution lists “hard” work and work with harmful or hazardous conditions in which the employment of women is prohibited. The list features, for example, work that includes manually lifting and moving heavy loads, underground work in the mining and construction industries, work in the processing of oil, gas, and petroleum products among many others.

Women are granted leave for reasons of pregnancy and childbirth for 126 calendar days (140 days if there are complications at birth). After the birth of the child, women are entitled to maternal leave for a period of up to three years in accordance with Arts. 184-185. During this time, women are paid a monthly allowance by the State.

Sets out the procedure for the identification of victims of trafficking in persons by Internal Affairs bodies, State security bodies, Border Service bodies, Prosecutors, and the Investigative Committee using a questionnaire filled out by a person that could be a victim of trafficking in persons.

The law includes a set of preventative measures aimed at preventing domestic violence among others crimes and administrative offenses. Art. 1 defines domestic violence as the intentional actions of a physical, psychological, or sexual nature against a family member that violate his or her rights, freedoms, or legitimate interests causing physical and/or mental suffering. Art. 1 further defines family members to include relatives, dependents and other persons that live together in a common household. Art. 5 defines the “actors of prevention,” which include various State agencies and Non-Governmental Agencies. The “actors of prevention” must annually develop and approve comprehensive regional programs for crime prevention, including programs to prevent domestic violence in accordance with Art. 11. Art. 17 provides the basic preventative measures against domestic violence, including identification and elimination of causes of domestic violence, educational and informational work to prevent domestic violence, record-keeping of domestic violence instances, provision of temporary shelters to victims of domestic violence, among others. Finally, Art. 31 allows the issuance of a protective order against a person who has committed domestic violence. A protective order can compel the offender temporarily to leave the premises jointly occupied with the victim and prohibit disposition of joint property.

Art. 199 prohibits the unjustified refusal to hire or the unlawful firing of a person, including a woman for reasons related to her pregnancy. This crime is punishable by a prohibition to occupy certain offices or be engaged in certain activities, correctional labor, or imprisonment for a term of up to three years.

For several crimes set out in the Criminal Code, knowing commission against a pregnant woman is an aggravating circumstance that increases the sentence. Murdering a pregnant woman is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 8 to 12 years, life imprisonment, or the death sentence under Art. 139. Torture of a pregnant woman is punishable by restraint on liberty for a term of one to three years or imprisonment for a term of one to five years under Art. 154. Taking a pregnant woman hostage is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 6 to 12 years under Art. 291.

Art. 166 of the Criminal Code defines rape as “sexual intercourse against the will of the victim with the use of violence” or threat of such violence against the woman or her relatives, or using the woman’s helpless state. Rape is punishable by restraint on liberty for a term of up to four years or imprisonment for a term of three to seven years. Rape in aggravating circumstances, including repeated rape, rape by a group of people, or rape by a person who has previously committed sexually violent acts, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to thirteen years and knowing rape of a minor or rape that causes grave consequences (e.g., death, bodily harm, or HIV infection) is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 8-15 years. Art. 167 likewise prohibits violent acts of sexual nature, such as “sodomy” or “lesbianism” against the will of the victim with the use of violence or threat of such violence, or using the victim’s helpless state. The punishments for committing an Art. 167 crime in aggravated circumstances are the same as those for rape. Art. 168 prohibits sexual intercourse and other acts of a sexual nature with a person below the age of 16. This crime is punishable by, in case there are no signs of criminal acts set out above, restraint on liberty or imprisonment for a term of up to four years, with a fine. The punishment, in case the offender has previously committed the crimes described above, has duties owed to the victim, or the crime is committed by a group of persons, is imprisonment for a term of three to ten years. “Depraved acts” committed against a person below the age of 16 are punishable by imprisonment for a term of up to six years under Art. 169. Art. 170 criminalizes the compulsion to commit acts of a sexual nature by means of blackmail, threat of destruction of property, or by using the dependence (workplace, monetary, etc.) of the victim. The crime is punishable by restraint on liberty or imprisonment for a term of up three years, with a fine and prohibition to occupy certain offices. Such a crime knowingly committed against a minor is punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to six years. Arts. 171 and 171 prohibit the organization, use, or creation of conditions for prostitution, including by removing the victim outside of the country; such crimes are punishable by up to ten years of imprisonment.

The decree approved the Legal Regime of Domestic Work and Social Protection in August 2017. This instrument is aimed at protecting and formalizing domestic work in Angola, the majority of which is performed by women. It defines domestic work and sets out, among other legal protections, 1) the rights and obligations for both employers and employees, 2) the form of work contract, including for termination and suspension, and 3) dispositions on remuneration. The rights guaranteed to the domestic worker include: (i) right to weekly rest (article 21), (ii) imposition of a minimum age of 18 (article 10), (iii) formalization of a labor contract (article 7), (iv) right to vacation (article 23), and (v) right to compensation for the worker in case of unilateral termination by the employer (article 27).

O decreto aprovou o Regime Jurídico do Trabalho Doméstico e de Proteção Social do Trabalhador de Serviço Doméstico em Agosto de 2017. O instrumento é destinado a proteger e formalizar o trabalho doméstico em Angola, que é majoritariamente realizado por mulheres. Ele define o trabalho doméstico e estabelece, entre outras previsões legais, 1) os direitos e obrigações de ambos os empregadores e empregados, 2) a forma de contrato de trabalho, incluindo a rescisão e a suspensão, e 3) disposições sobre remuneração. Os direitos garantidos ao trabalhador doméstico inclui: (i) direito de descanso semanal (artigo 21). (ii) imposição de idade minima de 18 (artigo 10), (iii) formalização do contrato de trabalho (artigo 7), (iv) direito à férias (artigo 23), e (v) direito à indenização ao trabalhador no caso de terminação feita pelo empregador (artigo 27).

The President approved the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity in December 2013. The policy and strategic plan on gender equality between men and women promotes equal opportunities, rights, and responsibilities in all domains of their economic, political, and social lives. It further establishes state liability in the adoption and execution of policies and promotes sustainable development, along with other basic human rights principles, such as non-discrimination, gender equality, and respect of individuals. The National Policy also brings data regarding the population of women in the country, analyzing the social, political, and economic situation. Finally, the Policy maps out the main problems faced by women (related to basic services, such as education and health, as well as domestic violence, participation in politics, and access to resources) and defines strategies and targets to achieve the specific goals in order to reduce gender inequalities present in the country.

O Presidente aprovou a Política Nacional para Igualdade e Equidade de Gênero em Dezembro de 2013. A política e o plano estratégico para equidade de gênero entre homens e mulheres promove oportunidades, direitos, e responsabilidades iguais em todos os âmbitos das suas vidas econômicas, políticas, e sociais. Ela também estabelece a responsabilidade do estado na adoção e execução de políticas e promove desenvolvimento sustentável, junto de outros princípios de direitos humanos básicos, como a não discriminação, equidade de gênero, e respeito aos indivíduos. A Política Nacional também traz dados relativos à população feminina do país, analizando as situações sociais, políticas, e econômicas. Finalmente, a Política mapeia os principais problemas enfrentados por mulheres (relativos a serviços básicos, como educação e saúde, assim como violência doméstica, participação na política, e acesso a recursos) e define estratégias e objetivos a serem alcançados para atingir metas específicas a fim de reduzir desigualdades de gênero presentes no país.

The Law on Domestic Violence defines and prohibits domestic violence, classifying such practice as a crime for the first time. The definition of domestic violence includes not only physical acts, but also sexual, psychological, verbal abuse, among other forms of abuse, as a form of domestic violence, not being restricted to the family environment. Moreover, the law sets out this type of violence as a “public crime,” which means that any person may report its occurrence to the authorities or police. The Law further grants victims of domestic violence the right to financial, juridical, medical, and other forms of state support, including access to public shelters. It also establishes measures of prevention, support, and protection for the victim, and the procedures relating to complaint, denunciation, and withdrawal, besides recognizing the right to compensation guaranteed to the victim. It is important to mention that this law grants the rights not only to women, but to any person who is submitted to domestic violence.

A lei contra a Violência Doméstica define e proíbe a violência doméstica, classificando essa prática como crime pela primeira vez. A definição de violência doméstica inclui não apenas atos físicos, mas sexuais, psicológicos, abuso verbal, entre outras formas de abuso, como uma forma de violência doméstica, não se restringindo ao ambiente familiar. Além disso, a lei estabelece esse crime como “crime público”, o que significa que qualquer pessoa pode reportar a sua ocorrência para as autoridades ou polícia. A Lei ainda concede às vítimas de violência doméstica o direito a suporte financeiro, jurídico, médico, e outras formas de suporte estatal, incluindo acesso a abrigos públicos. Também estabelece medidas de prevenção, suporte, e proteção para a vítima, e os procedimentos relativos à reclamação, denúncia, e desistência, além de reconhecer o direito à indenização garantido para a vítima. É importante mencionar que essa lei concede direitos não apenas à mulher, mas a qualquer pessoa que é submetida à violência doméstica.

The Portuguese Constitution in Article 9 provides that it is the duty of the State to promote equality among men and women. Article 13 provides that no one shall be privileged or discriminated against for birth, gender, race, language, place of origin, religion, political or ideological conditions, social or economic status, or sexual orientation. Article 67 states that, in order to protect the family, the state is particularly charged with respect for individual freedom, guaranteeing the right to family planning by promoting the information and access to the methods and means required therefore, and organizing the legal and technical arrangements that make it possible to exercise motherhood and fatherhood with awareness. Article 68 determines that women have the right to special protection during pregnancy and following childbirth, and working women also have the right to an adequate period of leave from work without loss of remuneration or any privileges. Article 109 establishes that the direct and active participation in political life by men and women is a condition for and a fundamental instrument in the consolidation of the democratic system, and the law must promote both equality in the exercise of civic and political rights and the absence of gender-based discrimination in access to political office.

A Constituição portuguesa, em seu artigo 9º, estabelece que é dever do Estado promover a igualdade entre homens a mulheres. O artigo 13 prevê que ninguém deverá ser privilegiado ou discriminado em razão da ascendência, sexo, raça, língua, território de origem, religião, convicções políticas ou ideológicas, instrução, situação económica, condição social ou orientação sexual. O artigo 67 estabelece que, para proteção da família, o Estado deverá garantir, no respeito da liberdade individual, o direito ao planeamento familiar, promovendo a informação e o acesso aos métodos e aos meios que o assegurem, e organizar as estruturas jurídicas e técnicas que permitam o exercício de uma maternidade e paternidade conscientes. O artigo 67 da Constituição dispõe sobre o direito à proteção especial da mulher durante a gravidez e após o parto, tendo as mulheres trabalhadoras ainda direito a dispensa do trabalho por período adequado, sem perda da retribuição ou de quaisquer regalias. Por fim, o artigo 109 estabelece que a participação direta e ativa de homens e mulheres na vida política constitui condição e instrumento fundamental de consolidação do sistema democrático, devendo a lei promover a igualdade no exercício dos direitos cívicos e políticos e a não discriminação em função do sexo no acesso a cargos políticos.

The law states that a judge may determine, within 48 hours, urgent protective measures (suspension of the aggressor’s license to carry weapon, removal of the aggressor from the home, keeping distance from the victim, among others), depending on the situation. (Article 18 and 22). In addition, the judge may, when necessary, impose other measures to protect the victim, such as direct the victim and her dependents to an official or community program of protection or assistance, or return of the victim and her dependents to their home after removal of the aggressor, among others. (Article 23). Article 24-A prescribes that violations of urgent protective measures carry sentences range from three months to two years of imprisonment.

O juiz poderá determinar, dentro de 48 horas, a adoção de medidas protetivas de urgência (como a suspensão da posse ou restrição do porte de armas, a remoção e o afastamento do agressor do lar da vítima, bem como a proibição de contato e aproximação da agredida, dentre outras), a depender a situação enfrentada (artigos 18 e 22). Além disso, o juiz poderá, casos necessário, impor outras medidas visando a proteção da vítima, como dirigir a vítima e seus descendentes para programa oficial ou comunitário de proteção ou de atendimento, recondução da vítima e seus descendentes para casa, após a remoção do agressor, dentre outras medidas (artigos 18 e 22). Artigo 24-A prevê que as violações as medidas protetivas de urgência são punidas com 3 meses a 2 anos de detenção.

The law defines domestic and familiar violence against women as any action or inaction based on gender that results in death, injury, physical, sexual or psychological suffering, or moral or property damage within the domestic unit (space for the permanent conviviality of people, with or without family ties), within a family unit (individuals who are or consider themselves to be related, united by natural ties, affinity, or express will) or within any intimate relationship, regardless of cohabitation. It also determines that domestic violence against women is independent of their sexual orientation (Article 5 and 7).

A Lei Maria da Penha (LMP) define como violência doméstica e familiar contra mulher qualquer ação ou omissão baseada no gênero que causa à mulher morte, lesão, sofrimento físico, sexual ou psicológico e dano moral ou patrimonial, sofrida seja no âmbito da unidade doméstica (espaço de convívio permanente de pessoas, com ou sem vínculo familiar, inclusive as esporadicamente agregadas), no âmbito da família, (compreendida como a comunidade formada por indivíduos que são ou se consideram aparentados, unidos por laços naturais, por afinidade ou por vontade expressa) ou em qualquer relação íntima de afeto, na qual o agressor conviva ou tenha convivido com a ofendida, independentemente de coabitação. Além disso, a LMP prevê que a violência doméstica e contra mulher independem de orientação sexual (Artigos 5 e 7).

This law prohibits any discrimination based on sex, origin, race, color, marital status, family status, disability, professional rehabilitation, age, among others, regarding the access to, or maintenance of, the employment relationship. Article 1 prohibits any discriminatory practices for the effect of access to employment (except with respect to minimum age, in order to prevent child labor). Article 2 prohibits any discriminatory practices such as (i) requiring a test, examination, skill, award, attestation, declaration, or any other procedure concerning sterilization or pregnancy, or (ii) the adoption of any measures, at the initiative of the employer that constitute induction or promotion of birth control. These crimes carry sentences of 1-2 years of imprisonment plus imposition of a fine to the employer. Even though the federal law only mentions “sex”, the Brazilian jurisprudence understand that this federal law also prohibits discrimination regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, or appearance.

A lei proíbe qualquer prática discriminatória por motivo de sexo, origem, raça, cor, estado civil, situação familiar, deficiência, reabilitação profissional, idade, entre outros, para acesso ao emprego ou para a sua conservação. O artigo 1º proíbe a discriminação para o efeito do acesso ao emprego (exceto com relação à idade mínima, a fim de evitar o trabalho infantil). O artigo 2 proíbe a adoção de quaisquer práticas discriminatórias, tais como (i) exigir um teste, exame, perícia, prêmio, atestado, declaração, ou qualquer outro procedimento relativo à esterilização ou gravidez, ou (ii) a adoção de quaisquer medidas, por iniciativa do empregador, que constituam indução ou promoção do controle de natalidade, constituindo crimes puníveis com um a dois anos de detenção mais aplicação de multa ao empregador. Embora a lei federal mencione apenas discriminação baseada no "sexo", a jurisprudência brasileira entende que esta lei federal também proíbe a adoção de práticas discriminatórias com relação à orientação sexual, identidade de gênero ou aparência quando do acesso ou manutenção de emprego.

The Brazilian Constitution provides for equal rights to all individuals, regardless of sex, gender and/or sexual preference. However, specific discriminatory conducts are dealt with in the Criminal Code (Federal Decree No. 2.848/1940) and other Federal Laws. English translation available here.

A Constituição brasileira dispõe, expressamente, que todos são iguais perante a lei, sem distinção de qualquer natureza (Artigo 5º), seja em razão do sexo, gênero, ou preferência sexual. Contudo, ainda remanescem condutas discriminatórias específicas, seja no Código Penal, seja em outras leis federais.

Originally enacted in 1995 as the Child and Youth Sexual Transaction Prevention Act, this Act (the “CYSEPA”) was enacted to prevent all forms of sexual exploitation of children and youths and ensure their healthy physical and mental development. The CYSEPA specifies the responsibilities of the relevant authorities and governs the prevention of sexual exploitation of children and youths and the rescue, protection, and counseling of victims. Competent authorities must arrange the placement of the victim in a child and youth welfare institution, foster family, or other appropriate medical or educational institution on an emergency basis; evaluate the necessity of continuing placement within 72 hours; and to apply to the court for longer-term placements. The authorities must also offer counseling, intervention, and assistance with school enrollment, employment, independent living, or other necessary matters for a period of at least one year or until the victim’s 20th birthday. If the offender is the victim’s parent, foster parent, or guardian, the victim, the prosecutors, or other interested parties may apply to a court to stop such person from exercising parental rights over the victim and to appoint another guardian. After becoming aware of any victim or any suspect of a crime covered by the CYSEPA, medical personnel, social workers, educational personnel, caregivers, and personnel of other business or governmental organizations must report the crime to the authorities. Internet platform providers, online application service providers, and telecommunications companies are obligated to remove information relating to suspicious criminal activities, to notify law enforcement, and to provide data to law enforcement and judicial authorities for investigation. The competent authorities are also authorized to require the parents, guardian, or other caregiver of a victim to receive parental education and counseling for a period of up to 50 hours and to attend a family treatment program. Persons found guilty under the CYSEPA are subject to imprisonment as well as to fines up to N.T.10 million, with offenders who intentionally kill the victim subject to the death penalty or life imprisonment. English translation available here.

Article 10 states that the State shall protect the dignity of women, safeguard their personal safety, eliminate sexual discrimination, and further substantive gender equality. This Article further provides that the State shall, in accordance with the will of the ethnic groups, safeguard the status and political participation of the aborigines. The State shall also guarantee and provide assistance and encouragement for aboriginal education, culture, transportation, water conservation, health and medical care, economic activity, land, and social welfare, measures for which shall be established by law. Article 10 specifically includes the Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu areas. English translation available here.

The Constitution guarantees that all citizens are equal before the law. Article 5 guarantees equality among Taiwan’s various racial groups. Article 7 states that all citizens enjoy the same rights irrespective of their sex, religion, race, class, or party affiliation. Article 22 provides that all other freedoms and rights of the people that are not detrimental to social order or public welfare shall be guaranteed under the Constitution. Article 23 provides that all enumerated freedoms and rights shall not be restricted by law except as may be necessary to prevent infringement upon the freedoms of other persons, to avert an imminent crisis, to maintain social order, or to advance public welfare. In J.Y. Interpretation 748, the Constitutional Court interpreted the classifications listed in Article 7 as only illustrative and recognized constitutional protection of same-sex marriage under Articles 7 and 23. All citizens have equal opportunity to receive an education under Article 159. English translation available here.

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 was passed in the aftermath of the Nirbhaya case wherein a female student was gang-raped in December 2012. The Act amended several provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act, and the Criminal Procedure Code. By way of this amendment, several new offenses have been recognized and incorporated into the Indian Penal Code, including acid attack (Section 326 A & B), voyeurism (Section 354C), stalking (Section 354D), attempt to disrobe a woman (Section 354B), sexual harassment (Section 354A), and sexual assault which causes death or injury causing a person to be in persistent vegetative state (Section 376A). The Act also amended the already existing offenses to make them more stringent. Notably, the definition of rape in Section 375 was broadened to include acts in addition to penetration. Also, Section 370 was replaced with Section 370 and 370A. The amended section incorporated the definition of trafficking as provided in the UN Trafficking Protocol while excluding “forced labour.” Also see the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018 for additional amendments to rape and sexual violence crimes.

Parliament enacted this law pursuant to the Supreme Court decision Shayara Bano v. Union of India. Section 3 of the Act bans and voids talaq-e-biddat declarations , while Section 4 stipulates imprisonment of up to three years along with fine for a Muslim man who pronounces talaq. Section 7 of the Act also declares the offence of pronouncing Talaq as a cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable offence. The Act provides additional protections to Muslim women upon whom talaq is pronounced in Sections 5 and 6, including a subsistence allowance from their husband and custody of their children (as determined by the magistrate) respectively.

Ratified by BiH in November 2013, this Convention opens the path for creating a legal framework at the pan-European level to protect women against all forms of violence and to prevent, prosecute, and eliminate violence and domestic violence against women. The Convention also establishes the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention. Its members are elected by the state parties. The structure of the treaty is based on the “four Ps”: (1) prevention, (2) protection and support of victims, (3) prosecution of offenders, and (4) integrated policies. The Convention also establishes obligations in relation to the collection of data and supporting research in the field of violence against women. Article 2 of the Convention indicates that the provisions shall apply in time of peace and also in situations of armed conflicts. The treaty came into effect in Bosnia on the 1 August 2014.

This law sets the procedure for granting refugee status; the status of subsidiary protection; cessation and revocation of a refugee status and the status of subsidiary protection; temporary protection, identification documents; the rights and obligations of asylum-seekers, refugees, and aliens under subsidiary protection; and other issues related to asylum in BiH. Article 9 of the Law on Asylum enhances the protection of women as it prohibits the discrimination of aliens on all grounds stipulated in the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual characteristics. English translation available through RefWorld External URL.

The purpose of this law is to prevent and suppress domestic violence and to remove circumstances that encourage and stimulate repeated violence in the family. The law contains provisions regarding protective measures against family violence (e.g., by the use of protection orders), and sanctions for perpetrators of violent actions. Protective measures may be issued at the request of a victim or their attorney, police, prosecutors, the centre for social work, government, non-governmental organizations, or ex officio. Protective measures are issued by the court, depending on the residence or domicile of the victims of domestic violence. They are: (1) removal from the apartment, house or other dwelling and prohibition from returning to that apartment, house or dwelling; (2) a restraining order; (3) the protection of the victim of domestic violence; (4) prohibition from harassment and stalking; (5) mandatory psycho-social treatment; or (6) mandatory rehabilitation. Non-compliance with a protective measure is sanctioned by a fine of KM 2,000 to KM 10,000. There is also a penalty for an official person who fails to report to the police an act of domestic violence, which is a pecuniary fine in the amount of KM 1,000 to 5,000 or a prison term of no less than 50 days. English translation available in addition to original Bosnian through RefWorld External URL.

The law defines matrimonial and family relationships and sets out protections of mothers’ and children’s interests in family life and upon divorce. The law establishes that men and women have equal rights in all aspects pertaining to family relationships and have freedom to marry upon reaching the age of marriage. The law provides that marriage should be entered into on the basis of mutual consent. The law prohibits various forms of discrimination against women, such as through polygamy, unequal use of matrimonial properties during a marriage, and unlawful division of matrimonial properties upon divorce. The law states that husband and wife have right to engage in political, economic, cultural, and social activities. It further provides that both husband and wife have joint right to choose place of residence and the respective right to select family name. The law also sets out provisions for divorce. In case of divorce, the Court may order a former husband to pay child support; and when his former wife is sick and unable to meet her own needs, the Court may also order a former husband to pay alimony for a period which shall be less than one year.

This law sets out the measures for protecting women’s rights, promoting gender equality, development of women (including physical, mental, educational, and professional and skills developments), eliminating gender-based discriminations, and preventing crimes, such as human trafficking and domestic violence, against women. Article 17, Equal Rights in the Family, mandates that women and men have equal rights in all matters concerning family relationships, including equal rights in matrimonial property and inheritance. Part IV, The Protection of Women and Children against Trafficking and Domestic Violence, sets out measures to assist and protect women and children victims of trafficking and domestic violence; duties and obligations of governments and officers, social organizations, individuals, doctors, social workers, or other organizations that discover or receive information concerning a victim; and criminal procedures relating to offenders. Unofficial English translation available from the ILO here.

Anyone caught performing an abortion is subject to two to five years of imprisonment and a fine of 5 million to 15 million kip. Any woman caught performing her own abortion or arranging to have her own abortion done is subject to three months to one year of imprisonment and a fine of 3 million to 10 million kip. If the offender is in the habitual practice of performing abortions, they are subject to five to seven years imprisonment and a fine of 7 million to 20 million kip. The Penal Code also punishes attempted abortions. English translation available from the Laos Official Gazette here.

Section 301 states that any woman, causing herself an abortion or allowing another person to procure an abortion for herself, shall be liable to imprisonment up to a term of three years or a fine not exceeding 60,000 Baht. Section 302 punishes those who procure an abortion for a woman with her consent; the penalty is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or a fine up to 20,000 Baht, with the term and amount varying according to if grievous bodily harm or death resulted from the abortion. Section 303 punishes those who procure an abortion for a woman without her consent; the penalty is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years or a fine up to 40,000 Baht, with the term and amount varying according to if grievous bodily harm or death resulted from the abortion. Section 305 exempts those under Sections 301 or 302 from the offense if the abortion was carried out be a medical practitioner on medical grounds or the woman is younger than 15 years and the pregnancy resulted from rape or fetuses with fatal abnormalities. Thailand’s Constitutional Court ruled on 19 February 2020 that existing laws on abortion (Sections 301 and 305) conflict with Thailand’s 2017 Constitution as they fail to hold men responsible for illegal abortions. It remains unclear how the provisions will be amended; the ruling gives the government 360 days for the amendments and does not immediately change the law. English translation available from the ILO through External Link.

This Code comprises the main body of laws of Thailand and regulates many aspects of Thai law. Section 1502 states that divorce may be effected only by mutual consent or by judgment of the court. The grounds of action for divorce are set out at Section 1516 and do not discriminate between genders. The grounds include unfaithfulness; misconduct that causes shame, excessive injury or trouble, or causes a spouse to be insulted or hated on account of being the spouse of the perpetrator; a spouse causes serious harm to the mind or body of the other or seriously insults the other’s ascendants; desertion or imprisonment; separate cohabitation; failure to provide maintenance or support; insanity; incurable and communicable disease or physical disadvantage so that cohabitation is not possible; and breaking a bond of good behavior. There are certain circumstances in which a spouse may not be able rely on one of these grounds for divorce, including: (1) they instituted, consented, or conspired to the act or caused it (in relation to physical disadvantage), or (2) the ground of action is minor or of no importance in relation to peaceful cohabitation. The right to institute an action for divorce is terminated if the spouse entitled has committed any act showing his or her forgiveness (Section 1518). According to Section 1533 upon divorce, the marital assets shall be divided equally and under Section 1535, the spouses would be equally liable for common debts. The remedies for divorce include a right for the aggrieved to claim compensation or living allowances.

Thai laws available here.

The Criminal Code Section 286 criminalizes any person over the age of 16 years who subsists in whole or part on the earnings of a sex worker. The sentence is imprisonment of 7-20 years and a fine of 14,000-40,000 Baht, or imprisonment for life. The provisions of this section do not apply if the sex worker is bound to give maintenance according to law or morality.

English translation as of 2003 via ILO available here.

This Act amends the Criminal Procedure Act of 1997 and provides for the further regulation of detention and bail of those who are arrested. The Act substitutes subsection 11(b) of §60 of the original Act, tightening bail conditions for schedule 5 crimes, which includes rape. The substituted section holds that the court must order an accused to be detained in custody until they are dealt with in accordance with law, unless the accused can offer sufficient evidence to satisfy the court that they should be released in the interests of justice.

This Act allows mayors to impose a 10-day restraining order if it appears from facts or circumstances that an individual’s presence at a residential property seriously and immediately endangers the safety of one or more people who live there. Courts can review the restraining order within three days after its commencement date. After the 10 days, the mayor may decide to extend the restraining order by another four weeks. During the 10-day period, the people involved will receive professional and governmental assistance.

Abortions may be performed up to the 24th week of pregnancy, “the point at which the fetus becomes viable outside the mother’s womb.” The procedure must be carried out by a physician in a hospital or a specially licensed clinic and cannot occur earlier than six days after the woman has consulted the physician. The physician must inform the woman within five days of the consultation whether s/he will perform the requested procedure. The operating doctor must also advise the woman “on the different options available” and “inform her of the medical risks.” Minors (persons under 18 years of age) must have parental consent. The Act does not apply to late-term abortions (i.e., after 24 weeks). The Criminal Code penalizes the killing of a viable fetus. New regulations on late-term abortions were adopted in 2015, clarifying the circumstances, medical and legal, that must be considered before performing a late-term abortion. Late-term abortions are only authorized if they fall under one of two categories: 1) a fetus not expected to survive outside the mother’s body or 2) one with such serious conditions that, even with medical interventions, its chances of survival are small. The fetuses will be reported to a medical committee, which will determine whether the doctor acted with due care and, dependent on the category, send their findings to either the Healthcare Inspectorate (Category 1) or the Board of Procurators General of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (Category 2) to see whether further investigation is needed. (Unofficial English translation available here: https://cyber.harvard.edu/population/abortion/Nether.abo.htm)

Several sections of the Criminal Code (in particular, sections 242-243) penalize rape, including spousal rape, and domestic violence. Penalties include imprisonment not exceeding 12 years, a fine not exceeding 78,000 euros ($93,600), or both. For cases involving violence against a spouse, the penalty for various forms of abuse can be increased by one-third. Section 244 and 245 of the Criminal Code penalize statutory rape. Under section 244, in cases where the victim is younger than 12, the term of imprisonment shall not exceed 12 years. In cases where the victim is 12-16 years of age, under section 245, the term of imprisonment shall not exceed eight years. (Unofficial English translation of the Criminal Code as of 2012 available here: http://www.ejtn.eu/PageFiles/6533/2014%20seminars/Omsenie/WetboekvanStra...)

Article 1:31 of the Civil Code sets the legal age for marriage at 18 years for both women and men. This Act address instances child and/or forced marriage in the Netherlands. It removed a previous provision that allowed for marriage at the age of 16 under exceptional circumstances. The Act also provides for criminal prosecution in cases of forced marriage involving Dutch nationals and/or non-Dutch national-permanent residents. Dutch nationals and non-Dutch national permanent residents can be prosecuted for a forced marriage abroad even if forced marriage is not a criminal offence in the country where the marriage took place. (English summary of the Act available here: https://www.government.nl/topics/forced-marriage/tackling-forced-marriage)

Article 1 of the 2008 Constitution provides for the equal treatment of all people in the Netherlands. It further prohibits discrimination based on “religion, belief, political opinion, race or sex or on any other grounds whatsoever.” Article 11 of the 2008 Constitution holds that “Everyone shall have the right to inviolability of his person, without prejudice to restrictions laid down by or pursuant to Act of Parliament.” (English translation available through External Link.)

A person who takes, hides, or imprisons a pregnant woman in order to force the woman or a third party to do, not do, or tolerate something against his or her will is subject to imprisonment of between 10 to 25 years. A person who kidnaps or hides a pregnant woman to obtain a ransom is subject to imprisonment of between 10 to 25 years. If perpetrator obtains the desired gain, the minimum penalty will be raised to eight years.

La persona que toma, esconde o encarcela a una mujer embarazada con el fin de obligar a la mujer o a una tercera persona a hacer, no hacer o tolerar algo en contra de su voluntad está sujeta a pena privadora de libertad de 10 a 25 años. La persona que secuestra u oculta a una mujer embarazada para obtener un rescate está sujeta a una pena de prisión de entre 10 y 25 años. Si el agresor obtiene la ganancia deseada, la pena mínima se elevará a ocho años.

Abortion is a criminal offense unless there are no other means with which to save the life or health of the pregnant woman, the woman is mentally ill or otherwise challenged, or her pregnancy is the result of sexual assault. Those who perform abortions with the consent of the woman are liable to imprisonment for one to four years, or up to six years if the woman does not survive. Performing an abortion without the consent of the woman is punishable by three to ten years in prison, or up to 15 years if the woman does not survive. In addition to these prison sentences, doctors, surgeons, midwives, and pharmacists who assist or perform an abortion may be disqualified from practicing their profession for twice the period of imprisonment. A person who unintentionally causes an abortion through acts of violence is liable for six months to two years imprisonment. Finally, a woman who causes or consents to an abortion may be sentenced to one to four years imprisonment. An unsuccessful abortion attempt is not a punishable offense, so women who do so should be able to seek medical attention without penalty. (Note: The government of Argentina is voting on legalizing abortion as of December 2020: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/11/argentina-lower-house-appr...)

El aborto es un delito penal a menos que no existan otros medios con los que salvar la vida o la salud de la mujer embarazada, la mujer tenga una enfermedad mental o sufra algún otro problema, o su embarazo sea el resultado de una agresión sexual. Quienes practican abortos con el consentimiento de la mujer pueden ser castigados con una pena de prisión de uno a cuatro años, o hasta seis años si la mujer no sobrevive. Realizar un aborto sin el consentimiento de la mujer se castiga con tres a diez años de prisión, o hasta 15 años si la mujer no sobrevive. Además de estas penas de prisión, los médicos, cirujanos, parteras y farmacéuticos que ayuden o practiquen un aborto pueden ser inhabilitados para ejercer su profesión por el doble del período de prisión. Una persona que provoque involuntariamente un aborto mediante actos de violencia puede ser sancionada con una pena de prisión de seis meses a dos años. Finalmente, una mujer que provoque o consienta en un aborto puede ser condenada a una pena de prisión de uno a cuatro años. Un intento de aborto fallido no es un delito punible, por lo que las mujeres que lo hagan deberían poder buscar atención médica sin sanción. (Nota: El gobierno de Argentina está votando sobre la legalización del aborto a diciembre de 2020: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/11/argentina-lower-house-appr...)

If the descendants inherit, the spouse shares in the hereditary estate in the same proportion as sons and/or daughters. If the ascendants inherit, half of the inheritance corresponds to the spouse. In the absence of descendants and ascendants, the spouse inherits the entirety of the estate. The spouse does not inherit if the deceased dies within 30 days of the marriage due to an illness, which existed at the time of marriage and was known by the survivor to have a foreseeable fatal outcome, unless, the marriage was preceded by a union in joint habitation.

Si los descendientes heredan, el cónyuge comparte la herencia hereditaria en la misma proporción que los hijos y / o hijas. Si los ascendientes heredan, la mitad de la herencia corresponde al cónyuge. En ausencia de descendientes y ascendientes, el cónyuge hereda la totalidad de la herencia. El cónyuge no hereda si el fallecido muere dentro de los 30 días posteriores al matrimonio debido a una enfermedad, que existía en el momento del matrimonio y que el sobreviviente sabía que tenía un desenlace fatal previsible, a menos que el matrimonio fuera precedido por una unión en habitación conjunta.

Article 402 prohibits the interpretation or application of any norm in a manner that limits, restricts, excludes, or suppresses the equality of rights and obligations of the parties to a marriage, whether such marriage is consummated between two people of different sexes or the same sex.

El artículo 402 prohíbe la interpretación o aplicación de cualquier norma de manera que limite, restrinja, excluya o suprima la igualdad de derechos y obligaciones de las partes contrayentes, ya sea que dicho matrimonio se consuma entre dos personas de diferente sexo o del mismo sexo.

Article 37 guarantees the full exercise of political rights, in accordance with the principle of popular sovereignty and the laws that are enacted accordingly. Suffrage is universal, equal, secret, and obligatory. The political parties must guarantee the equality between men and women for access to elected and support positions. Article 75 empowers Congress to foster democratic values and equal opportunities free from all forms of discrimination.

El artículo 37 garantiza el pleno ejercicio de los derechos políticos, de acuerdo con el principio de soberanía popular y las leyes que se dicten en consecuencia. El sufragio es universal, igual, secreto y obligatorio. Los partidos políticos deben garantizar la igualdad entre hombres y mujeres para el acceso a cargos electos y de apoyo. El artículo 75 faculta al Congreso para fomentar los valores democráticos y la igualdad de oportunidades libres de toda forma de discriminación.

This law includes several amendments to the Employment Code to govern sexual harassment, some examples of which include companies with more than 10 employees must have a protocol to observe and guarantee a workplace environment of dignity and mutual respect, including rules and internal sanctions for cases of sexual harassment; including dismissal without compensation as a cause of action related to sexual harassment, to address sexual harassment as a conduct that jeopardizes and harms the workplace environment; and including a protocol for cases where the sexual harassment cases can reach the Labor Department Inspection.

Esta ley incluye varias enmiendas al Código de Trabajo para regular el acoso sexual, algunos ejemplos de las cuales incluyen: empresas con más de 10 empleados deben tener un protocolo para observar y garantizar un ambiente laboral de dignidad y respeto mutuo, incluyendo reglas y sanciones internas para los casos de Acoso sexual, e incluyendo el despido sin compensación como causa de acción relacionada con el acoso sexual, para abordar el acoso sexual como una conducta que pone en peligro y daña el entorno laboral, e incluyendo también un protocolo para los casos en que los casos de acoso sexual puedan llegar a la Inspección del Departamento de Trabajo.

Its objective is to prevent, sanction, and reduce domestic violence and protect victims, especially woman, elders, and children. It defines domestic violence as physical acts and physical abuse committed by a person having a family bond with the victim. The Family Tribunal has jurisdiction over cases where the conduct does not qualify as a crime (according to the Criminal Code) and no prison penalties may be imposed. Article 4 states that enforcement of this law is within the purview of the Minister of Women and Gender Equity.

Su objetivo es prevenir, sancionar y reducir la violencia intrafamiliar y proteger a las víctimas, especialmente a mujeres, ancianos y niños. Define la violencia doméstica como los actos físicos y el abuso físico cometidos por una persona que tiene un vínculo familiar con la víctima. El Tribunal de Familia tiene jurisdicción sobre los casos en que la conducta no califica como delito (según el Código Penal) y no pueden imponerse penas de prisión. El Artículo 4 establece que la aplicación de esta ley es competencia de la Ministra de la Mujer y la Equidad de Género.

Articles 342 to 345 relate to abortion as a crime, other than an abortion under any of the conditions established by Law No. 21,030 of 2017. The penalty varies considerably depending on the circumstances and motives for the abortion, including, for example, whether the abortion was performed by the mother or a third party, whether it was done with or without the consent of the mother, or whether it was done to hide any shame (deshonra). Article 390 of the Criminal Code provides that the killing of a woman who is or used to be in a relationship with the murderer is murder (spousal) (femicidio), the penalty for which is imprisonment from 15 years and one day to qualified perpetual imprisonment. Article 400 increases by one degree penalties for crimes committed in the context of domestic or family violence. Article 411 prohibits acts done with the purpose of promoting or facilitating the entry or exit of individuals who perform sex work within or outside the Chilean borders. The penalty is imprisonment from three years and one day to five years, plus a fine. Article 411 also prohibits acts of violence, coercion, or taking advantage of vulnerability of persons in order to obtain the consent of a person to be sexuality exploited, such as in pornography, slavery, or forced labor. The penalty is imprisonment from five years and one day to 15 years, plus a fine.

Los Artículos 342 al 345 regulan aborto como delito, distinto del aborto en cualquiera de las condiciones establecidas por la Ley N ° 21.030 de 2017. La sanción varía considerablemente según las circunstancias y motivos del aborto, incluyendo, por ejemplo, si el el aborto fue realizado por la madre o una tercera persona, ya sea con o sin el consentimiento de la madre, o para ocultar alguna vergüenza (deshonra). El Artículo 390 del Código Penal establece que el homicidio de una mujer que está o solía estar en relación con el asesino es homicidio (conyugal) (femicidio), cuya pena es de prisión de 15 años y un día a prisión perpetua calificada. El Artículo 400 aumenta en un grado las penas por delitos cometidos en el contexto de violencia doméstica o familiar. El Artículo 411 prohíbe los actos realizados con el propósito de promover o facilitar la entrada o salida de personas que realizan trabajo sexual dentro o fuera de las fronteras chilenas. La pena es de prisión de tres años y un día a cinco años, más una multa. El Artículo 411 también prohíbe los actos de violencia, coacción o aprovechamiento de la vulnerabilidad de las personas para obtener el consentimiento de una persona para ser explotada sexualmente, como en la pornografía, la esclavitud o el trabajo forzoso. La pena es de prisión de cinco años y un día a 15 años, más una multa.

Law No. 20,820 created the Ministry of Women and Gender Justice, an initiative designed to bring focus to gender issues that were formerly led by the Women National Service (“Sernam”). The Ministry of Women and Gender Justice is a more autonomous and resourceful entity and its mission is to create policies, plans, and programs that benefit women and work to eliminate any type of gender discrimination, making Chile a more equitable country.

The Human Trafficking Act ("the Act") criminalizes the trafficking of persons within and across borders by the use of threat, fraud, and exploitation of vulnerability or by paying to gain consent. Under the Act, induced prostitution, all other forms of sexual exploitation, and slavery all constitute trafficking. The Act mandates that persons with information on trafficking have a duty to inform authorities. Authorities in this case include the police or the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Department of Social Welfare, the Legal Aid Board, or a reputable Civil Society Organization. The Act covers the rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration of trafficked persons, as along with creating a fund for victims. Punishment for trafficking is imprisonment for not less than five years.

The Domestic Violence Act (the “DVA”) defines and prohibits domestic violence. Here, domestic violence means any act under the Criminal Code 1960 (Act 29) that constitutes a threat or harm to a person within the context of a domestic relationship. This includes specific acts, threats to commit, or acts likely to result in physical, sexual, or economic abuse. Emotional, verbal, or psychological abuse, including harassment, also fall within the definition of domestic violence. After a complaint has been brought, the police have a duty to provide assistance and protection to the victim of domestic violence even though the victim did not file the complaint. Thus, the police will interview the parties and witnesses, record the complaint, help the victim to obtain medical treatment and inform the victim of his or her rights. The victim can then seek a protection order in the court with original jurisdiction.

This Act intends to protect the rights of all parties to a family estate by increasing the accountability of the executor or head of family. Section 1 mandates that the executor or head of family account for all matters related to the family estate. Section 2 dictates that any member of the family connected to the property may file a claim of mismanagement against the head of family in court. Finally, section 3 gives the court the power to order the head of the family to list all the family properties he owns.

This Act consolidates the laws relating to children. It provides an overview of children’s rights, delineates the broad requirements concerning child maintenance and adoption, regulates child labor and apprenticeship, and discusses other ancillary matters concerning children generally. Part 1, Sub-Part 1 specifies several children’s rights and parental duties such as the right to parental property, education and well-being, social activity, and opinion. This Sub-Part also protects children from exploitative labor, torture, degrading treatment, and forced betrothal, dowry, or marriage. The penalty for any violation of these rights is imprisonment not to exceed one year or the payment of a fine not to exceed 5 million currency points or both. Section 14 of this Sub-Part sets the minimum age for any marriage at 18. Part IV of the Act then outlines the adoption process and gives jurisdiction to the High Court, Circuit Court, or Family Tribunal in the area where the adopter or adoptee resides at the time of the application. It further states that only a minor (a child under the age of 18) can be adopted by husband and wife jointly; father or mother alone or jointly with the spouse; a relative of 21 years; or a single person of 25 years and at least 21 years older than the child to be adopted. Finally, Part V of the Act delimitates the employment of children and prohibits any type of work before 13 years old.

The Criminal Code (Amendment) Act introduced Section 69A, which prohibits female genital mutilation. In 2007, Parliament amended 69A, and expanded the definition of liability to include anyone who “carries out female genital mutilation and excises, infibulates or otherwise mutilates the whole or any part of the labia minora, labia majora and the clitoris of another person” and specified that liability on summary conviction mandated imprisonment for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 10 years.

Chapter 6 of the Criminal Code outlines various sexual offenses criminalized in Ghana. Rape is criminalized in Sections 97 and 98 and is defined as the "carnal knowledge of a female of sixteen years or above without her consent." Rape is classified as a first-degree felony, and a person convicted of rape shall be imprisoned for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 25 years. Section 99 clarifies that "carnal knowledge or unnatural carnal knowledge" is complete upon proof of the least degree of penetration. Statutory rape is outlined in Section 101. It states that a person convicted of having sexual intercourse with a child under 16 years of age, with or without his or her consent, shall be imprisoned for a minimum of seven years and a maximum of 25 years. Similar punishment is outlined in Section 1012 for the defilement of anyone who is considered an "idiot, imbecile or mental patient." It states that a person who has sexual intercourse with a person they know has a mental incapacity commits an offense and shall be imprisoned for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 25 years. Indecent assault is outlined in Section 103. It states that a person commits indecent assault if he or she, without consent, forcibly makes any sexual bodily contact, or sexually violates another person, in any manner not amounting to “carnal knowledge or unnatural carnal knowledge.” Indecent assault is a misdemeanor and carries a minimum of six months imprisonment. “Unnatural carnal knowledge” is outlined in Section 104, which states that a person convicted for having ‘unnatural carnal knowledge’ may face different penalties depending on what act he or she commits. "Unnatural carnal knowledge" is defined as sexual intercourse with a person in an unnatural manner or with an animal. Section 104 has been interpreted as prohibiting homosexuality.

Section 14(1) makes it a discriminatory practice to harass an individual in the context of provisions of goods, services, facilities or accommodation, provision of commercial or residential accommodation, or in matters of employment. Subsection (2) clarifies that sexual harassment is deemed to be harassment on a prohibited ground of discrimination.

Section 276 (Evidence of complainant’s sexual activity), the so called “rape shield law,” was enacted to prevent evidence of the complainant’s previous sexual history being adduced to support an inference that they were more likely to have consented or that they are less believable. The purpose of the law is to protect the integrity of the trial by excluding misleading and irrelevant evidence and to encourage the reporting of such crimes by protecting the privacy of complainants. Such evidence is only admissible in limited circumstances. In determining whether evidence is admissible, a trial judge must consider certain factors as prescribed by section 276 including the potential prejudice to the complainant’s personal dignity and right of privacy. Evidence of prior sexual activity is presumptively inadmissible unless, having followed certain procedures, the trial judge rules otherwise.

Section 268(1) provides that everyone commits an aggravated assault who wounds, maims, disfigures or endangers the life of the complainant. Section 268(3) clarifies that “wound” or “maim” includes to excise, infibulate, or mutilate, in whole or in part, the labia majora, labia minora, or clitoris of a person except where it is performed by a qualified medical practitioner for the benefit of the physical health of the person or the person is over 18 years of age and there is no resulting bodily harm. No consent to excise, infibulate, or mutilate, in whole or in part, the labia majora, labia minora, or clitoris of a person is otherwise possible. Aggravated assault is punishable as an indictable offence and punishment is a prison sentence not exceeding 14 years.

Criminal Code C-46 provides mechanisms which make is easier for vulnerable persons such as female complainants to give testimony during criminal proceedings. The measures include: ability to give testimony outside the courtroom via closed circuit television or behind a screen; allowing a support person to be present during testimony; requiring some or all members of the public to leave the court room during criminal proceedings; where an accused is self-representing, appointing a lawyer to conduct cross examination; and publication ban to prevent information being released which could identify the victim or witness.

This Act overturned Division 12 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), which criminalised obtaining, performing, or otherwise assisting an abortion. Abortion is now legal in New South Wales until 22 weeks of pregnancy. To procure an abortion after 22 weeks, the procedure must be performed in a hospital by a specialist practitioner in consultation with a second practitioner. Medical providers who have conscientious objections to abortion must provide patients with information about where they can receive an abortion.

The Act establishes the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), which consists of army, coast guard, and air force. The Act lays out the organization of the AFL and the responsibilities of different staff. The Act provides that the AFL must reflect the ethnic, gender, and religious diversity of the country (§ 7.1). §8.7 provides that the AFL shall provide equal opportunities to people regardless of gender difference.

Chapter 16 sets forth criminal offenses for conduct against the family. §16.3 provides that an abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy is a felony, unless it is conducted by a licensed physician upon his belief that the pregnancy causes danger to the mother or the child would be born with a grave defect. §16.1-16.2 prohibits bigamy, polygamy, incest, or deviate sexual intercourse with a family member and designates these acts as felonies. Separately, the Law prohibits harassment, which is defined as a written threat, an offensive telephone call, or repeated telephone calls with no legitimate communication purpose with the intent to frighten or harass the recipient. Chapter 14 Subchapter D outlines crimes involving sexual violence against persons committed on or after January 17, 2006. The age for statutory rape is 18 years. Gang rape constitutes first-degree felony. The Law defines lack of “consent” as including violence or the threat of violence against the victim or another person, the victim’s unconsciousness, a physical disability that prevents the victim from being able to to communicate his or her consent, or intentionally forcing the victim’s consent. The following acts constitute first-degree rape: rape of an underage victim, gang rape, rape that results in permanent disability to the victim, and use of a deadly weapon. The maximum punishment for first-degree rape is life imprisonment, and the maximum punishment for second-degree rape is 10 years imprisonment. Chapter 14 Subchapter D also covers sexual violence crimes committed before January 17, 2006. For those earlier offenses, the following constitute rape: a male has sexual intercourse with a female that is not his wife by force or by impairing her power to control her conduct; or a male has sexual intercourse with a female less than 16 years old. First-degree rape includes the following: the defendant causes serious bodily injury to the victim, the defendant has sexual intercourse with a female under 16 years of age, or the defendant has sexual intercourse with a female who has not previously consented. The change of language regarding crimes committed after 2006 indicates several important gender-related developments. First, the new language explicitly allows for the prosecution of men and women as perpetrators of rape. Second, it allows for the prosecution of rapes of male victims. Third, it no longer exempts “marital rape” from prosecution. Finally, it raises the age of statutory rape from 16 to 18 years. However, the Law also criminalizes homosexuality, making “voluntary sodomy” a misdemeanor (chapter 14.74).

The Domestic Abuse Act (Scotland) of 2018 came into force on April 1, 2019. It modifies and expands upon portions of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act of 1995. The act expands the definition of domestic abuse to include psychological abuse and coercive and controlling behavior. It criminalizes both psychological and physical harm directed to a partner or an ex-partner. Section 11.2 defines a “partner” as a spouse or civil partner, a person with whom one lives as a spouse, or a person with whom one is in an “intimate personal relationship.” Section 2 defines abuse as “violent, threatening, or intimidating” behavior that may consist of controlling a victim’s daily activities, causing the victim to become subordinate or dependent on the perpetrator, isolating the victim from friends or family, depriving or restricting a victim’s actions, or frightening, humiliating, degrading, or otherwise punishing the victim. Section 3 contains an extraterritoriality clause covering such conduct occurring partly or wholly outside the country, and thus the abusive behavior need not take place within the United Kingdom. Section 5 creates a is the only UK legislation with a specific statutory sentencing aggravation for the harm that can be caused to children growing up in an environment in which domestic abuse takes place. Section 2.2.n., likewise, includes a victim’s child under the age of 18 as a potential additional victim of abuse. Section 5.3 clarifies that the aggravation can be applied both in cases in which abusive behavior is directed at a child, and in scenarios in which a child “sees or hears, or is present during, an incident of behavior that A directs at B as part of the course of behavior.” The Domestic Abuse Act has been lauded by women’s rights organizations as a “welcome change” that “should increase the opportunity [for victims] to obtain protection and seek justice through the criminal justice system."

On June 21, 2018, the NSW Parliament passed the Act to supplement existing criminal legislation both at the NSW (e.g., Crimes Act 1900 and Human Tissue Act 1983) and Commonwealth levels (e.g., the Criminal Code Act 1995). The Act defines “modern slavery” as “any conduct involving the use of any form of slavery, servitude or forced labour to exploit children or other persons taking place in the supply chains of government agencies or non-government agencies.” The Act provides for an Anti-slavery Commissioner and establishes a Modern Slavery Committee.

The Act aims to prevent, ensure accountability for, and apply standards set by the United Nations and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women to domestic violence. It aims to fulfill these objectives by “empowering courts to make apprehended domestic violence orders to protect people from domestic violence, intimidation (including harassment) and stalking” (§ 9(2)(a)). Intimidation is defined as: “conduct amounting to harassment or molestation of the person,” “an approach made to the person by any means (including by telephone, telephone text messaging, e-mailing, and other technologically assisted means) that causes the person to fear for his or her safety,” or “any conduct that causes a reasonable apprehension of injury to a person or to a person with whom he or she has a domestic relationship, or of violence or damage to any person or property” (§ 7(1)). Stalking is defined as following, watching, frequenting the vicinity of or approaching a person’s place of residence, business or work, or any place that a person frequents for the purposes of any social or leisure activity (§ 8(1)). The Act (at Parts 3 and 4) gives courts the authority to issue orders relating to apprehended domestic or personal violence. The Act provides that a “person who stalks or intimidates another person with the intention of causing the other person to fear physical or mental harm” may be punished with up to five years imprisonment (§ 13(1)). A person who “knowingly contravenes a prohibition or restriction specified in an apprehended violence order made against the person” may be punished with up to two years imprisonment (§ 14(1)).

NSW, much like the rest of Australia, suffers from high incidents of domestic violence. Across Australia, one in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by someone known to them, one in five women have been stalked during their lifetime, and on average one woman is killed every week by a current or former partner. Aboriginal women and girls are 35 times more likely than the wider female population to be hospitalised due to family violence. In 2016, the NSW Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, launched the ‘NSW Domestic Family Violence Blueprint for Reform 2016-2021: Safer Lives for Women, Men and Children’ setting out actions to reform the domestic violence system in NSW over a five-year period (the blueprint is the first of its kind in Australia). The NSW Government has allocated AUD 350 million in the 2017/18 budget over a four-year period to fund the effort. (http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Pages/bocsar_pages/Domestic-Violence.aspx; https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/understand-domestic-violence/facts-violence-women/domestic-violence-statistics/; http://www.domesticviolence.nsw.gov.au/home)

Division 10 of the Act prohibits and defines sexual violence against adults and children. A person consents to sexual intercourse if the person freely and voluntarily agrees (§ 61HE(2)). As provided in section 61HE(3), a perpetrator is deemed to know that the other person does not consent if they have actual knowledge, are reckless as to consent, or had no reasonable belief that the other person consented. In determining consent, the trier of fact must consider all of the circumstances, including any steps taken by the person to ascertain whether the other person consents, but not including any self-induced intoxication of the person. There can be no consent if the person is a minor, unconscious or asleep, cognitively incapacitated, under duress, or unlawfully detained.

The Abortion Law Reform Act allows a registered medical practitioner to terminate a pregnancy (perform an abortion) on a woman who is not more than 24 weeks pregnant. After 24 weeks, an abortion may still be performed if the medical practitioner believes it is appropriate in all the circumstances, and has consulted at least one other registered medical practitioner who reasonably agrees. It also permits the supply or administration of drugs to perform and abortion by a pharmacist or registered nurse in similar situations.

The Charter aims to protect and promote the human rights set out in Part 2, including property rights and freedom from forced work (slavery), as well as the right to enjoy those human rights without discrimination. With respect to any proposed new law, the Victorian Parliament must prepare a “statement of compatibility,” which must examine the proposed law’s compatibility (or incompatibility) with the human rights protected in the Charter. While this statement has no effect on the validity of any law, it furthers the purpose of the Charter in promoting human rights. Further, under section 32 of the Charter, all statutory provisions must be interpreted in a way that is compatible with human rights (to the extent it is possible to do so consistently with their purpose). The Charter also allows the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission to intervene in any court or tribunal proceeding in relation to the Charter.

The Special Comprehensive Law for a Violence-Free Life for Women (Ley Especial Integral para una Vida Libre de Violencia) (“LEIV”) establishes a framework for prosecuting and preventing acts of violence against women, and for providing assistance and support for victims of gender-based violence. The law establishes 11 new crimes that aim to sanction various aspects of gender-based violence in various forms: physical (femicide, aggravated femicide, obstruction of justice, induced or assisted suicide); psychological (inducement and promotion of sex acts through electronic media; unlawful dissemination of information, dissemination of pornography); economic (breach of duty of economic assistance, theft of birthright, theft of profits of economic activity); and speech (violent speech against women). Rape is prosecuted through the Penal Code. The Salvadorean Institute for the Advancement of Women (Instituto Salvadoreno para el Desarollo de la Mujer) (“ISDEMU”) is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the law and with establishing women’s shelters and other programs designed to help victims of domestic and gender-based violence.

La Ley Especial Integral para una Vida Libre de Violencia para las Mujeres (LEIV) establece una avenida para enjuiciar y prevenir actos de violencia contra las mujeres, y para brindar asistencia y apoyo a víctimas que hayan sufrido violencia por razón de género. La ley establece 11 nuevos delitos que tienen como objetivo sancionar varios aspectos de la violencia de género en diversas formas: física (femicidio, femicidio agravado, obstrucción de la justicia, suicidio inducido o asistido); psicológica (inducción y promoción de actos sexuales a través de medios electrónicos; difusión ilegal de información, difusión de pornografía); económica (incumplimiento del deber de asistencia económica, robo de derechos de nacimiento, robo de beneficios de la actividad económica); y discurso (discurso violento contra la mujer). La violación es procesada por el Código Penal, el cual es el código penal criminal. El Instituto Salvadoreño para el Adelanto de la Mujer ("ISDEMU") tiene la tarea de supervisar la implementación de la ley y establecer refugios para mujeres asi como otros programas diseñados para ayudar a las víctimas de violencia doméstica y de violencia en base de género.

When regulating the legal regime applicable to publicly traded companies, the Capital Companies Law establishes that the board of directors shall ensure that its selection procedures favor gender diversity (Article 529 bis). Furthermore, the mandatory annual corporate governance report shall include a description explaining how the company is furthering diversity, particularly in relation to the representation of women in its board of directors (Article 540).

Al regular el régimen legal aplicable a las empresas que cotizan en bolsa, la Ley de Sociedades de Capital establece que el consejo de administración se asegurará de que sus procedimientos de selección de miembros favorezcan la diversidad de género (Artículo 529 bis). Además, el informe anual obligatorio de gobierno corporativo debe incluir una descripción que explique cómo la empresa está fomentando la diversidad, particularmente en relación con la representación de las mujeres en su junta directiva (Artículo 540).

Article 3 prohibits any publicity which discriminates against women. It describes discrimination as (i) showing women’s bodies or body parts as objects unrelated to the products being marketed or (ii) showing stereotyped descriptions of women’s behavior in a way that is contrary to their dignity.

El Artículo 3 prohíbe cualquier publicidad que discrimine a las mujeres. Describe la discriminación como (i) mostrar los cuerpos o partes del cuerpo de las mujeres como objetos no relacionados con los productos que se comercializan o (ii) mostrar descripciones estereotipadas del comportamiento de las mujeres de una manera que sea contraria a su dignidad.

The Workers’ Statute contains some special rights for women who have suffered gender-based violence. Article 37.8 establishes that said women could work part-time if they wanted to. Article 40.4 gives them a preferential right to occupy a new position in another location if they needed to move as a result of the gender-based violence they suffered.

El Estatuto de los Trabajadores contiene algunos derechos especiales para las mujeres que han sufrido violencia de género. El Artículo 37.8 establece que dichas mujeres podrían trabajar a tiempo parcial si quisieran. El Artículo 40.4 les otorga un derecho preferencial a ocupar un nuevo puesto en otro lugar si necesitaban mudarse como resultado de la violencia de género que sufrieron.

This is a broad piece of legislation that regulates the prevention, education, social assistance, social security benefits, procedural, criminal, and medical aspects of gender-based violence. The Sexual Violence Law also created specific courts within the judiciary system, like the Courts of Violence Against Women, to hear all cases related to gender-based violence.

Esta es una amplia legislación que regula la prevención, educación, asistencia social, beneficios de seguridad social, aspectos procesales, penales y médicos de la violencia de género. La Ley de Violencia de Género también creó tribunales específicos dentro del sistema judicial, como los Tribunales de Violencia contra la Mujer, para escuchar todos los casos relacionados con la violencia de género.

Spain criminalizes certain behaviors contrary to gender justice, such as the practicing of abortions without the patient’s consent, and female genital mutilation. In particular, Article 149 criminalizes female genital mutilation, establishing a penalty of six to twelve years in prison. Article 173 criminalizes the habitual physical or psychological violence exercised against a spouse or partner, punished with a penalty of six months to three years of prison (regardless of the penalty for any specific acts of violence that may have occurred). Article 314 criminalizes employment discrimination because of someone’s gender, ideologies, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, family circumstances, etc. The penalty for employment discrimination is six months to two years of prison or a pecuniary fine of 12 - 24 months. Article 510 criminalizes the incitement of violence, hate, or discrimination against any person or group for the aforementioned reasons. The penalty is one to four years of prison and a pecuniary fine of six to twelve months. Article 511 criminalizes denying a public service because of the aforementioned reasons, to someone legally entitled to receive said service. The penalty is six months to two years of prison and a pecuniary fine of 12 to 24 months, as well as being barred from public office for one to three years. Article 144 criminalizes the practicing of abortions without woman’s consent. The penalty is four to eight years of prison and being barred from any job in the medical profession.

España penaliza ciertas conductas contrarias a la justicia de género, como la práctica de abortos sin el consentimiento de la paciente y la mutilación genital femenina. En particular, el Artículo 149 penaliza la mutilación genital femenina, estableciendo una pena de seis a doce años de prisión. El Artículo 173 penaliza la violencia física o psicológica habitual ejercida contra un cónyuge o pareja, castigada con una pena de seis meses a tres años de prisión (independientemente de la pena por cualquier acto específico de violencia que pueda haber ocurrido). El Artículo 314 penaliza la discriminación laboral debido al género, las ideologías, la religión, el origen étnico, la orientación sexual, las circunstancias familiares, etc. de alguien. La pena por discriminación laboral es de seis meses a dos años de prisión o una multa pecuniaria de 12 a 24 meses. El Artículo 510 penaliza la incitación a la violencia, el odio o la discriminación contra cualquier persona o grupo por los motivos antes mencionados. La pena es de uno a cuatro años de prisión y una multa pecuniaria de seis a doce meses. El Artículo 511 penaliza la denegación de un servicio público por las razones antes mencionadas, a alguien legalmente autorizado para recibir dicho servicio. La pena es de seis meses a dos años de prisión y una multa pecuniaria de 12 a 24 meses, además de ser excluido de un cargo público de uno a tres años. El Artículo 144 penaliza la práctica de abortos sin el consentimiento de la mujer. La pena es de cuatro a ocho años de prisión y se le prohibirá cualquier trabajo en la profesión médica.

If a married person dies, the surviving spouse inherits the estate of the deceased. The spouses’ common children inherit from both spouses when the surviving spouse dies. If the spouse who dies had children with another person at the time of their passing, the non-common children may receive their inheritance immediately. It is possible to write a will on who is to inherit, however, a direct heir (e.g. the deceased’s non-common child) always has the right to its share of that spouse’s inheritance. Cohabitees do not inherit from one another and will have to write a will that regulates the inheritance in case one of them dies.

Sweden’s Gender Recognition Act states that a person may be legally recognized as another gender provided that they: (i) over a long period of time have perceived that they belong to that gender, (ii) have presented in accordance with the chosen gender, (iii) are expected to live in accordance with the gender identity in the future, and (iv) are at least 18 years old. Applications for legal gender change are reviewed by the National Board of Health and Welfare (Sw. Socialstyrelsen) and their decision may be appealed in the Administrative Court. The requirement for sterility was removed from Sweden’s Gender Recognition Act on 1 July 2013.

An amendment to the Swedish Aliens Act allows for the potential issuance of residence permits to victims of human trafficking crimes. The permit is issued for the duration of the investigation or hearing into the crime. During the duration of the permit the victims are eligible for health care, financial aid, and medical attention.

The Discrimination Act (“DA”) promotes equality regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or any other identity by defining and prohibiting discrimination and sexual harassment. The DA provides anti-discrimination laws which state that as long as an individual is capable of performing the relevant task, or eligible to receive services, he or she may not be discriminated against based on any identity factors. Moreover, the DA provides that organization leaders are obligated to investigate and take measures to prevent future discrimination or harassment upon becoming aware of such potential discrimination or harassment. Finally, the DA provides immunity provisions for those who report behavior that violates the DA. The penalty for failing to fulfill obligations under the DA is an obligation to pay compensation for the discrimination suffered, decided by the Board against Discrimination, and subject to appeal by the payee.

The law identifies and provides certain protections for vulnerable groups of migrants, including pregnant women, single mothers, and victims of domestic violence, rape, and human trafficking. The act also contains temporary residence provisions for victims of trafficking or individuals who are victims of serious criminal offenses. Victims of trafficking may be granted residence for a period of one year, whereas victims of serious criminal offenses may be eligible to stay for a minimum of six months and a maximum of one year, though this can be extended if the factors that the temporary residence was based on are still continuing. The act includes provisions to grant such individuals safe accommodation, psychological and material assistance, counseling, and access to education for minors. (English translation available here.)

The Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination introduced a systematic basis for general anti-discrimination protection in Serbia. It includes a general prohibition on discrimination in addition to specific articles covering hate speech, harassment, and other more severe forms of discrimination such as slavery and trafficking. (English translation available here.)

The Criminal Code defines and criminalizes domestic violence under Article 194, which is the main legislation providing for domestic violence prosecution. Domestic violence is defined as the “use of violence, threat of attacks against life or body, insolent or ruthless behaviour [that] endangers the tranquility, physical integrity or mental condition of a member of his family.” The definition of “family member” does not include ex-spouses or unmarried partners who do not live together or have children. The penalties for domestic violence under the Criminal Code are fines or imprisonment for up to 15 years. In 2017, new crimes for stalking (Art. 138a) and sexual harassment (Art. 182a) were added to the Criminal Code. Additionally, the minimum statutory sentence for rape was increased from three years to five years. In 2019, amendments to the Criminal code introduced life imprisonment without conditional release for those who commit crimes of rape or murder of children, pregnant women, or disabled persons. New crimes for stalking, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage were also introduced. (Unofficial English translation available here.)

Law No. 05/L-020 on Gender Equality promotes gender equality, by defining the relevant concepts, setting forth various measures to protect equal rights of genders, and specifying the institutions responsible for gender equality. The Law defines “woman” and “man” as including any person who considers oneself as such, and describes gender identity – which does not require medical intervention – as a “protected characteristic.” Direct and indirect gender discrimination are prohibited under the Law, including less favorable treatment of women for reasons of pregnancy, maternity, or sexual orientation, and gender-based violence. Harassment and sexual harassment are also forbidden, and whether a person refuses or surrenders to such behavior shall not be used as a basis for a decision affecting that person in a legal proceeding. The Law directs the Kosovo institutions to implement various general measures to achieve gender equality in Kosovo, including gender mainstreaming in all policies and legislation, gender budgeting in all areas, and ensuring recruitment and appointment are consistent with the requirement for equal representation of women and men. In areas where inequities exist, public institutions are further instructed by the Law to take temporary special measures to accelerate the realization of gender equality, including quotas, preferential treatment, hiring, and promotion. The Law in particular requires legislative, executive, and judicial bodies at all levels to adopt special measures until equal gender representation is achieved. The Law establishes an Agency for Gender Equality to support the implementation of the Law, and further mandates that all ministries and municipalities must appoint gender equality officials, and allocate sufficient resources from their budget, to implement the Law. Discrimination on bases including sex, pregnancy, or birth, is prohibited in employment matters including access to employment or training, and working conditions. In regard to education, the Law proscribes sex discrimination in access to education and scholarships, evaluation results, and attainment of degrees, and mandates the inclusion of gender equality education in school curricula at all levels. Persons who believe the principle of equal treatment has not been implemented in relation to them may initiate proceeding in accordance with the Law on Protection from Discrimination. Violations of the Law are punishable by fines of up to 700 Euros for individuals, and 900 Euros for legal entities. (Unoffocial English version available here.)

Article 7 of the Constitution of Kosovo states that Kosovo’s constitutional order is based on principles including equality, respect for human rights, non-discrimination, and social justice. The article further declares that Kosovo ensures gender equality as a fundamental value for the democratic development of the society, providing equal opportunities for both female and male participation in the political, economic, social, cultural, and other areas of societal life. Article 24(2) prohibits discrimination on grounds of gender and sexual orientation. Article 28(1) stipulates that no one shall be held in slavery or servitude, and paragraph (3) specifically forbids trafficking in persons. Article 37 declares that everyone enjoys the right to marry based on free will. It mandates that marriage and divorce be based on the equality of spouses. Article 71(2) stipulates that the composition of the Assembly of Kosovo shall respect internationally recognized principles of gender equality. Article 101(1) stipulates that the composition of the civil service shall take into account internationally recognized principles of gender equality. Article 104(2) stipulates that the composition of the judiciary shall reflect internationally recognized principles of gender equality. Article 108(2) charges the Kosovo Judicial Council to ensure that the Kosovo courts follow the principles of gender equality. Paragraph (4) requires proposals for appointment of judges to reflect principles of gender equality. Article 109(4) stipulates the State Prosecutor shall respect the principles of gender equality. Article 110(1) charges the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council to ensure that the State Prosecutor reflects the principles of gender equality. Paragraph (2) requires that proposals for appointments of prosecutors shall reflect principles of gender equality. Article 114(1) requires the composition of the Constitutional Court to respect principles of gender equality. (Unofficial English translation available here.)

The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act of 2004 was enacted to protect victims of crime and specifically domestic violence. It amends non-molestation orders under Family Law Act 1996 to provide a criminal sanction for non-compliance, with a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment and fines. See Section 1. It amends the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 to allow restraining orders to be imposed upon even acquitted defendants, if the court “considers it necessary to do so to protect a person from harassment by the defendant.”

This Act is a comprehensive act that replaced several pieces of legislation, including the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975. In general, The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society, and provides equality provisions, including the following:

The Equal Rights Act was created “for the enforcement of the principles enshrined in article 29 of the Constitution so as to secure equality for women.” Section 2 of the Act provides that “[w]omen and men have equal rights and the same legal status in all spheres of political, economic and social life” and that [a]ll forms of discrimination against women or men on the basis of their sex or marital status are illegal.” The Act provides, among other things, that women and men be paid equally for the same work and that, in employment matters, men shall not be afforded more favorable opportunities than women.

The Prevention of Discrimination Act recognizes sexual harassment as an act of discrimination subject to a penalty of up to $20,000. The Act defines sexual harassment as “unwanted conduct of a sexual nature in the workplace or in connection with the performance of work which is threatened or imposed as a condition of employment on the employee or which creates a hostile working environment for the employee.”

Article 10 (Protection Measures against Domestic Violence) provides the court with the power to order, among other things, the immediate removal of the perpetrator from the place of residence for a certain period of time, the prohibition of the perpetrator from being within a certain distance of the victim, a court officer to accompany the victim or the perpetrator to the victim’s residence to remove personal belongings, and the perpetrator to pay rent as well as certain support contributions to the victim, children, or other members of the family under their care. (English translation available here.)

The Labour Code enshrines equality in the workplace into Albanian legislation and provides specific protection to women’s rights. Article 9 (Prohibition against Discrimination) expressly prohibits any discrimination in the fields of labour and education (including but not limited to discrimination based on sex, race and nationality). Article 32 (Protection of Personality) specifically prohibits any acts of sexual harassment against an employee by an employer or other employees. Sexual harassment is defined to include any act that “considerably harms the psychological state of the employee because of sex.” Article 54 (Working Conditions) provides a requirement for pregnant women to have breaks every three hours. Article 105/a (Woman's Employment Protection) provides that women cannot be dismissed solely based on the reason of pregnancy or child delivery. Article 115 (Equality between Sexes in terms of Reward) makes mandatory equal pay between men and women for carrying out jobs of equal value. (External link to the International Labour Organization website for Albanian labor-related legislation, including the ILO's unofficial English translation available here.)

The Constitution provides for the general principles of equality and non-discrimination. Article 4 provides that democracy shall be exercised based on diversity of political institutions, ideologies and opinions. It also provides that the ideologies of different entities may not be made mandatory for citizens. Article 14 provides that the State shall regulate relations among social, ethnic and other communities on the basis of principles of equality before the law and respect of rights and interests. Article 16 states that religions and faiths shall have equality before the law. Article 22 provides that “all shall be equal before the law and have the right to equal protection of their rights and legitimate interest without any discrimination.” Further, Article 32 of the Constitution contains general protections with respect to marriage, family, motherhood, fatherhood and childhood. In particular, it provides that “on reaching the age of consent, a woman and a man shall have the right to enter into marriage on a voluntary basis and found a family. Spouses shall have equal rights in family relationships” and women shall be guaranteed equal rights as men in their opportunities to receive education and vocational training, promotion in labor, social and political, cultural and other spheres of activity as well as in creating conditions safeguarding their occupational health and safety. Article 42 provides a right to equal pay. According to Art. 44, the State guarantees to every person the right to own property, meaning the right to own, use, and dispose of property individually or jointly with other persons. The right of ownership and inheritance are protected by law. Unofficial English translation available here.

The Domestic and Cohabitation Relationships Violence Ordinance superseded the earlier Domestic Violence Ordinance. It extends protections beyond married couples to both opposite-sex and same-sex cohabitants. One type of relief it offers is an injunction from the District Court or the Court of First Instance, which restrains the offender from using violence against the applicant or excludes the offender from the shared home or from other specified area.

The Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Ordinance covers the kinds of ancillary and other relief that may be granted in matrimonial proceedings. Sections 4-7 of the Ordinance, in particular, cover the allocation of assets between a divorcing couple.

The Family Status Discrimination Ordinance (“FSDO”) prohibits direct and indirect discrimination based on family status. The principles used by courts applying the FSDO are very similar to those of the Sex Discrimination Ordinance.​

The Bill of Rights Ordinance is the local legislation incorporating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights into Hong Kong law. The rights recognized under it are to be enjoyed “without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” The ordinance also provides that “[m]en and women shall have an equal right to the enjoyment of all civil and political rights set forth in [the ordinance].”

The Act’s purpose is to provide means to hinder persons from committing acts of family and domestic or personal violence by imposing restraints on their behavior and activities. Under the section 106B of the Act, restraint orders can be issued against a person who has caused or has threatened to cause injury or damage to another person or property and is likely to do so again or carry out the threat, behaved in a provocative or offensive manner and is likely to do so again, or against a person who has stalked another person. The justice must be satisfied on the balance of probability that the imposed restraints are necessary or desirable to prevent further prohibited behavior. Restraint orders can be issued on an interim or final basis. A person who fails to comply with an order is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding ten penalty units or imprisonment not exceeding six months.