Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis signed on Thursday, August 1, a law that bans sexual and psychological harassment in public and private spaces, Mediafax reported.

Harassment in public spaces affects a high number of women and girls in Romania, according to the law’s initiator, independent MP Oana Bizgan.

Surveys show that eight in ten Romanian women don’t feel safe walking alone in the street at night and four in ten don’t feel safe even during the day. Moreover, seven in ten women don’t expect other people to intervene if they are harassed in the street.

“I hope this will change once this law comes into force,” Oana Bizgan said.

The law sanctions harassment offences with fines of RON 3,000 to RON 10,000 (EUR 645-2,150).

Romanian parliament votes to ban harassment

editor@romania-insider.com