The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has made a decision that significantly eases the ability for female local council deputies who perform their duties on a voluntary basis to travel abroad. From now on, they can cross the state border during martial law without additional obstacles.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Important changes for female local council deputies
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko noted that previously, even during legal leave, elected female deputies could not leave the country to visit family or deliver aid to Ukrainian soldiers. Such restrictions affected volunteer activity and forced some deputies to refuse their mandates.
“Previously, even during legal leave, they could not travel – to see their relatives or bring aid to our soldiers. This limited volunteer activities and forced some to resign their mandates.”
The new rules apply to female deputies at all levels of local councils, provided they do not receive a salary for their work in local government. Legislation defines such activity as unpaid, so deputies who work, for example, as teachers or doctors, have the right to travel outside the country.
Details on restrictions and travel procedures
As explained by Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, if a female local council deputy holds a paid position in local government and receives a salary from the local budget, her travel abroad is only possible in the case of a business trip. Otherwise, the restrictions do not apply.
It should be noted that on August 26, the government updated the procedure for crossing the state border, allowing men aged 18 to 22 to also leave the country without obstacles during martial law. The new provisions will come into effect the day after the official publication of the relevant government resolution.
Since the beginning of the full-scale aggression of Russia against Ukraine and the introduction of martial law, strict restrictions on travel have been in place for military-age men aged 18 to 60. According to the current rules, high-ranking officials, representatives of state authorities, and local council deputies have the right to cross the border only based on decisions regarding business trips.