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
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
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
09 November 2007
The Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation together with its international partners the Network of East-West Women- Poland and the Centre for Reproductive Rights – New York are organizing in Sofia, Bulgaria in the period 9- 13 November 2007 the Women’ s Human Rights Training Institute / WHRTI/. The institute proposes education and training for lawyers from Eastern Europe aimed at acquiring litigation skills on the issues of violence against women, reproductive rights and employment discrimination. Lecturers specialized in the respective issues from Europe and the USA will conduct the training. Among the selected participants for the training in English there are women and men from countries like Romania, Bulgaria, Albania. Georgia, Russia, Slovakia, Poland, Moldova, Turkey, Cyprus, etc. The WHRTI will provide training in four sessions for two years / 2007-2009/. The first course of the Institute was completed successfully in the period 2004- 2006. The training starts at 1 p.m. on 9 November and will take place in Vitosha Park Hotel / behind the Technical University/.
16 May 2007
Young lawyers active in defending women’s human rights can apply. A unique opportunity for professional development and working in international environment. Deadline 30 June 2007 more details here
25 February 2007
The BGRF marked the occasion of the European year of equal opportunities for all with a conference on non-discrimination with partners form Bulgaria and from the nieghbouring countries. On February 24th and 25th 2007 in Sofia the BGRF organized a final conference together with the partners from Serbia, Voivodina and Macedonia on the project “Policies for non-discrimination and equal opportunities at local level”. The project is supported by the Royal Ministry of foreign affairs, Norway. Among the speakers were Her Excellency Towe Skartsein, Ambassador of Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bulgaria, Mr. Metin Kazak, - deputy Ombudsman of Republic of Bulgaria, members of the national Commission for protection against discrimination - Mrs Aneli Chobanova, Mrs. Irina Moulechkova and Mrs Zora Guencheva. Mrs Anelia Atanassova, MP from the 40th National Assembly sent a welcoming message for the conference. The presence of Mr. Triffon Mitev, MP from the 40th National Assembly of Republic of Bulgaria and Chair of the parliamentary sub-commission on women’s rights and equal opportunities deserves special attention. He announced the good news that there is a political consensus on the adoption of an Act on equal opportunities for women and men, with the establishment of special mechanism on equal opportunities. The adoption of such mechanism will undoubtedly stimulate the establishment of institutional mechanisms at local level. Mr. Mitev announced that the subcommission will insist for the creation of a separate Commission women’s rights and equal opportunities. The BGRF’s partners for Western Balkans – namely Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (Macedonia) and Women’s center for democracy and women’s rights (Vojvodina, Serbia) presented the project results related to the establishment of institutional mechanisms for equal opportunities and protection against discrimination at local level. They presented the results achieved in Subotica (Voivodina region), Serbia and in three Macedonian municipalities – Shtip, Ochrid and Karposh (Skopje district). The BGRF is initiator and coordinator of the project. The idea of the BGRF for working on the establishment of local structures for protection against discrimination and equal opportunities came up in 2000-2001 when the BGRF conducted a campaign for a specialised commission in the Praliament and then focused its efforts on the building of antidiscrimination mechanisms at local level. The first project on this issue was implemented in Mcedonia and Bulgaria together with a research on the opportunities for such mechanisms. In 2003-2004 the activities were focused on the mechanisms for equal opportunities of women and men. In the next most recent project these mechanisms are still actual, together with the opportunities for antidiscrimination structures at local level in Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia and also other grounds of discrimination are included (these grounds are: gender, race and ethnic origin, disability, age, sexual orientation – as included in the 2007 - European year of Equal Opportunities for all). Local structures of this kind still do not exist in Bulgaria. As outcome of the project (providing financial support for mechanisms establishment only from the Western Balkan countries) the BGRF partners from Macedonia and Serbia created information centers for citizens’ rights, as well as offices and departments on equal opportunities. Participants from Macedonian and Serbian municipalities underlined the great importance of Project activities at local level. The Project supported the implementation of new antidiscrimination legislation and legislation on equal opportunity in Macedonia. As a matter of fact municipalities involved in the project are among the first in the country starting the establishment of commissions on equal opportunity at local level, as it is required by the Law. Subotica region, Serbia mentioned that thanks to the Project they have started good collaboration between local authorities and recently appointed (for the first time) Local Ombudsperson. Three participating countries are ambitious to work on a continuation of the project and several Bulgarian municipalities as Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bourgas, Sofia, Kazanlak, Vratsa, Kurdjali expressed strong interest and motivation in this regard. Such efforts will support the implementation of a new Act on equal opportunities between women and men. In conclusion – the agenda set up seven years ago by the Bulgarian womens’ NGOs has the chance to coincide with the current political agenda. We will see what will happen. And then – straight forward again! See also www.norvegia.bg
01 January 2007
The European Year of Equal Opportunities for All will be celebrated across the European Union in 2007 to draw the attention of European countries to the problems created by discrimination and the opportunities offered by diversity. The Year will promote equal opportunities and raise awareness about the rights of everyone to equal treatment, and about the benefits of diversity. The celebration will be marked by hundreds of different activities staged throughout the European Union with all 27 EU Member States taking part. The main aim is to reach out to the general public and therefore most of the Year's activities will be held on a local, regional, or national level. This will be supported and complemented by several pan-European activities such as a campaign on European antidiscrimination policies and legislation or the presentation of the results of a Eurobarometer survey about European citizens' attitudes towards and knowledge discrimination and inequality issues. The European Year of Equal Opportunities for All will be formally launched with a big opening conference in Berlin from January 30th-31st, chaired by the German Presidency.
20 January 2006
The Annual Social Watch Report 2006 will be officialy launch in Sofia, on the September 25th,Sofia Grand Hotel, at 6.30 p.m. The 2006 Report, "Impossible Architecture", focuses on the urgent need to reform the current international financial structure in order to ensure the financial means to meet these commitments, and provides new perspectives and ideas for a viable blueprint for action.
28 July 2006
Six years after the signature of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW the 40th National Assembly finally ratified it and the act of ratification was published in State Gazette No. 62/ of 1 August 2006. It means in practice that communications from individuals and groups of individuals can be submitted to the CEDAW Committee for violations of the Convention. The issue of violence against women being explicitly recognized as discrimination against women by CEDAW and the General recommendations of the Committee, Bulgarian individuals and groups of individuals will be able to refer cases of violence against women to the Committee of CEDAW under the conditions of admissibility of the Optional Protocol. Full text is available under section PUBLICATION
21 July 2006
The General Assembly of Social Watch will be held for the first time in Sofia, Bulgaria. Hosting organisation will be BGRF and the event will be take place during the period 22nd – 26th September 2006 in Vitosha Park Hotel, Sofia. Social Watch is an international NGO watchdog network monitoring poverty eradication and gender equality. The event will gather more than 50 representatives of national Social watch coalitions, social networks and human rights NGOs from all over the world. More information will be provided soon.
30 March 2006
The fourth session of the Institute will take place in Sofia between 31 March – 4 April 2006 and will encompass the use of the mechanisms of CEDAW, the HRC and other universal international instruments for protection of women’ s rights. The session will focus as well on the EU standards and the case-law of the ECJ for combating employment discrimination. Overview (PDF)
14 March 2006
The European Parliament adopted a first reading report on plans to set up an independent European Institute for Gender Equality. While strongly supporting the creation of this new Community body, MEPs wish to make it more effective by sharpening the focus of its work. They also want guarantees about the management board's gender balance. It is hoped the institute will be able to start work 2007. Link to documents: http://www.europarl.eu.int/oeil/file.jsp?id=5238252
11 June 2005
The BGRF web-site is winner in category Institution website of the WEB-BG Competition. The BGRF’ team is very grateful to Mr. Nikolai Spassov who supports our ideas and made this site possible. More info about the WEB-BG Competition at www.web-bg.com
18 February 2005
During the period between 18 – 23rd of February 2005 will be organized the second term of the Women’s Human Rights Training Institute (WHRTI). Lecturers will be professors from the Universities in Bulgaria, USA and Europe, experts from intergovernmental organizations – International Labour Organisation and the European Union, as well as representatives from international non-governmental organizations from Bulgaria and abroad. The main themes of the 2nd session will be:
08 October 2004
The 1st term of the Women’s Human Rights Training Institute (WHRTI) was organized in Sofia during the period 4th and 8th of October 2004. 19 young lawyers from Macedonia, Romania, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, Slovak, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Georgia discussed Women’s Human Rights in the context of International Human Rights Law, International and Regional Human Rights Law and Enforcement mechanisms. Lecturers were jurists and professors in law from the USA, Europe and Bulgaria.