Activists Sue Ukraine’s PM for Violation of Women’s Rights

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov has been sued by La Strada-Ukraine International Human Rights Protection Centre President Yekaterina Levchenko and the leader of the NGO Information and Consulting Female Centre Elena Suslova, reports Russian news agency Itar-Tass.

Levchenko told reporters on Wednesday that on Monday she filed a suit in protest against what she claimed was the prime minister’s violation of equal rights for women and men.

“His phrase ‘It’s not a woman’s business to make reforms’ is directly discriminating against Ukrainian women and personally myself,” she said. “The compensation I have demanded in my suit is just one hryvnia [Ukraine’s national currency, worth about 13 US cents].”

In her case, Levchenko included an audiorecording of Azarov’s speech in Dnepropetrovsk on March 19, where he had made the controversial statement.