Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation - Projects page

an independent NGO promoting: social justice, gender equality and human rights through research, education, legislative changes, advocacy programs

sections:

social and economic rights of women

Strengthening Citizens Participation in the Privatization Process: Women’s Rights in the Economic Transition

The project was funded by the Global Women in Development Office of the United States Agency for International Development (G/WID – USAID) and implemented in the period 1998-1999. As a result of the research a report was produced “Privatization’s Impact on Women during the Economic Transition in Bulgaria” has been published.

 The report is the first attempt to examine the impact of the privatization and restructuring processes in Bulgaria upon women’s social and economic rights through the methods of sociologic and legal research.

The research team developed the following hypothesis, which were confirmed by the results of both parts of the study:

  • Citizens are not motivated to be active in the privatization process as far as this is not a sufficiently transparent process for society.
  • Privatization affects the labor and social rights of citizens and in particular of certain groups of women. The privatization and restructuring processes are connected with negative attitudes of citizens because of the economic insecurity and the danger of job reductions and unemployment.
  • The citizens’ trust in trade unions as defender of those working in the process of privatization has dropped.
  • There is a lack of fostering practices for the participation of women in entrepreneurship.
  • Women’s information level on guaranteed social and economic rights is low and they do not tend to seek protection through the existing legal mechanisms.

    • 02 June 1998

     
     
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