An analysis of Ukraine’s legal framework on gender-based cybercrimes
In today’s world, gender-based violence is, unfortunately, expanding its reach. As society, digital technology, internet access, and a degree of online anonymity develop, the space for committing GBV is shifting from real life (offline) into the online environment — social media, messengers, websites, and other internet resources we use every day to communicate, study, and work.
Along with the opportunities the digital world gives us, the number and variety of cybercrimes is growing — including gender-based ones. Yet new kinds of crime emerge in the digital world faster than the state can respond legislatively. GBV sometimes stems from discriminatory stereotypes about gender roles; it targets a person because of their gender and leads to physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering.
Our authors:
Oksana Huz — attorney, expert on non-discrimination, hate crimes, and gender-based violence
and Hanna Lytvynova — lawyer, expert on safety and countering gender-based violence, human rights defender
analyzed a year and a half of court decisions (01.01.2023–30.06.2024) in order to:
– understand how the legislation in this area works;
– identify gaps and problems;
– provide specific recommendations for change.
This is not just another piece of analysis — it is an important step in the fight for human rights in the digital space.
Authors: Oksana Huz, Hanna Lytvynova