Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation - News archive
an independent NGO promoting: social justice, gender equality and human rights through research, education, legislative changes, advocacy programs
an independent NGO promoting: social justice, gender equality and human rights through research, education, legislative changes, advocacy programs
24 June 2008
In what is being seen as an important milestone, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on Wednesday adopted the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which would allow persons to petition an international human rights body about the violation of their rights under the Covenant. In its resolution adopted Wednesday, the Council recommended that the UN General Assembly adopts and opens for signature, ratification and accession the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, at a signing ceremony in Geneva in March 2009. The Optional Protocol will enter into force three months after the date of deposit with the UN Secretary-General of the tenth instrument of ratification or accession.
10 May 2008
International Conference on Gender Equality will be organised in Stara Zagora on 13-15 of June 2008. The Conference is organized by Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation in cooperation with Parliamentary Sub-Committee on equality between women and men, 40th National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria in frame of the cross-regional Project “Mainstreaming diversity at local level” financed by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Conference Agenda could be download here
30 April 2008
In April 2008 the activities on the project “Raising awareness and active campaign on gender dimensions of poverty in Bulgaria” were completed. The initiative is the framework of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) and is supported by Oxfam-Novib. Campaign materials were produced – first edition of white bands “Together against poverty” and posters (can be found here and here…) A brochure on the issues of women and poverty was published as well as recommendations for combating poverty among vulnerable groups. A short multimedia material of campaign aiming the empowering of women against poverty could be seen at: http://www.womenfightpoverty.org/
18 April 2008
Norway Proposes Jail, Fines for Buying Sex 18 Apr 2008 OSLO, April 18 (Reuters) - The Norwegian government proposed on Friday to fine or jail clients of prostitutes for up to six months in a bid to stamp out human trafficking, and said the law would also apply to its citizens abroad. Norway signalled in mid-2007 that it would make it a criminal offence to buy services from prostitutes, following the example of Scandinavian neighbour Sweden which introduced a similar ban in 1999. The amendment will now be put to parliament for approval and if passed will take effect in January, officials said. "People are not merchandise, and criminalising the purchase of sexual services will make it less attractive for human traffickers to look to Norway," Justice Minister Knut Storberget said in a statement. Prostitution is allowed in Norway although procuring, or "pimping," is illegal. A rise in street prostitution in the capital, Oslo, in recent years has triggered calls for a ban. Proponents of the measure say it makes sense to try to stop prostitution by punishing those who use the service rather than the women themselves, who are often poor, young immigrants. "The goal is that the ban should contribute to ... reducing demand and thereby give a lesser market for human trafficking," Storberget said. Opponents of the ban say it will jeopardise women in the trade by driving prostitution underground where they will be even more vulnerable. "Criminalisation shall not lead to a worse situation for the prostitutes," Storberget said, adding that the government had taken other steps to get prostitutes out of the business. The justice ministry said the punishment could be fines on rising scale according to the offender's financial means or a jail term of up to six months, or both. Jail sentences of a year could be imposed in aggravated cases involving adult prostitution and of up to three years where child prostitutes are involved, the ministry said. (Reporting by John Acher; Editing by Catherine Evans)
12 April 2008
Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero presented his new government to King Juan Carlos today, naming former economic adviser Miguel Sebastian to the first cabinet that has more women than men. Of 17 ministers, nine are women, including Carme Chacon, who moved from housing to become Spain's first female defense minister. Sebastian will serve as industry minister and Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega and Finance Minister Pedro Solbes will continue as deputy prime ministers, Zapatero said in a televised news conference. ``I am very proud to be the prime minister who for the first time has made a woman defense minister,'' Zapatero said today in Madrid after being sworn in by King Juan Carlos. ``Moreover, I feel very proud that there are more female ministers than male.'' Zapatero is beefing up the government's economic and social credentials as he bids to tackle Spain's slowest expansion since the recession of 1993. Economic growth will ease to 1.8 percent this year, less than half the 2007 rate, the International Monetary Fund forecast April 9, as a global credit shortage exacerbates a slump in Spain's housing market. Zapatero defeated People's Party leader Mariano Rajoy in elections on March 9 to win a second term as prime minister. Yesterday parliament confirmed him as prime minister, allowing him to form his new government. Sebastian, former chief economist at Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, Spain's no. 2 bank, served as Zapatero's chief economic adviser during his first term before stepping down to mount a failed bid to become mayor of Madrid. 'Criminal Machismo' Among other changes announced today, Zapatero named Cristina Garmendia, the founder of Spanish biopharmaceutical company Genetrix, as minister of science and innovation. He also named Bibiana Aido as a new equality minister to promote opportunities for woman and combat violence against women that Zapatero called ``criminal machismo.'' Sebastian replaces Joan Clos as industry minister who worked as a doctor before entering politics. Sebastian will be in position to supervise Spanish power companies. Iberdrola SA and Union Fenosa SA have become targets of increasing bid speculation after builder ACS SA, the biggest shareholder in both, said last in February that it held talks with Paris-based Electricite de France about the French state-owned utility investing in Spain's energy market. Zapatero this week announced a raft of measures to shore up the economy. The government will build 1.5 million units of low- income housing over the next 10 years, cut taxes for those refurbishing old residential buildings and maintain subsidies for those renting their homes. Tax Breaks He also announced a plan to help unemployed construction workers find new jobs. Setting out his agenda in parliament this week, Zapatero said his government will meet its spending pledges, including an annual 400-euro ($633) income-tax rebate for all workers and pensioners, and will aim to reduce taxes further.
07 March 2008
8 March 2008- Is Gender Equality still a myth? NEW: GENDER EQUITY INDEX 2008 was launched by Social Watch Coalition Full text
21 February 2008
In the period 12- 14 February, 2008 in Vitosha park Hotel- Sofia the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation together with The Advocates for Human Rights from Minnesota, USA organized an international conference on Legal Reform in the field of Domestic Violence. Over 100 participants – from NGOs, governmental institutions and individual experts in the course of 3 days discussed the models of legal protection against Domestic Violence in view of strengthening the protection of victims of violence and the accountability of the aggressors. Participants were representatives of a broad region - Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbeidjan, Belarus, BiH, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, USA. On 14 February, 2008 the partners BGRF and AHR presented the monitoring report on the implementation of the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence. The event was sponsored by Oak Foundation, “Open Society” Institute- Budapest and the Bulgarian Fund for Women, and also with the support of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Further information
22 January 2008
institute.bgrf.org - The official web site of the Women`s Human Rights Training Institute
21 January 2008
From 3 - 9 of April 2008 the second session of the Women`s Human Rights Training Institute will take place in Bulgaria. For more information visit the new web site: institute.bgrf.org
07 January 2008
In 2007 the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation finalized two project activities under the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All and supported by the European Commission. The first one is a research and awareness raising project on the attitudes towards diversity in the regions of Haskovo and Kurdjali. As a counterpart of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy under the project “The benefits of Divesity” a sociological research was mandated and implemented through “Scala” Agency. The research results were presented at two regional seminars in December 2007.
For more information please contact: Tania Tisheva
The second project “From anti-discrimination towards equal opportunities” comprised innovative strategies of awareness raising activities of the Commission for Protection from Discrimination in cooperation with partner NGOs of the Commission.. An important component of the activities of the BGRF on the project was a representative sociological research implemented at national level by “Scala” Agency on the level of stereotypes towards the six main grounds for discrimination.
For more information, please contact: Iliana Stoicheva