The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is celebrated every year on 25 November. It is an initiative of the United Nations to eliminate violence (rape, domestic violence, etc.) against women. The day was first observed in 1999.
In order to support the public debate on the issue and on the initiative of Ms. Ekaterina Yordanova, a round table was held on November 25 at the Sofia Development Association with the participation of experts, civil activists, representatives of ministries. The participants addressed a number of important issues and outlined necessary future measures to improve the work of the responsible institutions.
The event symbolically marked the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness and combating all forms of violence against girls and women. The campaign starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and concludes on Human Rights Day, December 10.
In 2023, a number of changes were adopted in Bulgaria, including a Bill to amend and supplement the Protection from Domestic Violence Act (PDVA), which provides for the creation of a central register of cases that would give a real picture of the scale of the problem and serve as a starting point for future policy-making; the establishment of a National Council to coordinate the bodies responsible for addressing violence and to develop public policies; the extension of the deadline for filing an application for immediate protection, which would allow
Violence against women and girls is a growing phenomenon that knows no geographical boundaries, age limit or ethnicity. It can take many forms, including online violence, which has been on the rise since the Kovid pandemic. A January 2024 survey by the Trend Agency shows that four in ten people in Bulgaria have acquaintances who are victims of domestic violence; 18% of Bulgarians say there are cases where domestic violence is deserved. According to 13%, slapping does not constitute domestic violence. One in ten people (11%) in Bulgaria believe that there are forms of domestic violence that can be justified. The survey recorded a high sensitivity towards domestic violence - 82% of the participants believe that it is a serious problem for Bulgarian society. Over two thirds (69%) are of the opinion that there are forms of aggression in the family that are accepted as normal in our society.
These data signal the need for even more intensive and sustained work to expose the truth about violence against women, in particular domestic violence, as a gross violation of human rights and a pattern of coercive behaviour aimed at controlling a partner's freedom through coercion, intimidation and emotional manipulation. Violence against women also occurs online, and has equally severe consequences for the physical and mental health of victims.
An extremely important component of violence against women prevention is understanding the negative role that stereotypes and prejudice have on people's attitudes and behaviour. Many of these stereotypes are based on and fuel multilayered social, cultural, and economic inequalities between men and women. Their exposure and critical reflection is part of the process of drawing attention to the problem and prevention efforts. SDA is part of the GenderEd Coalition, an international project funded by the European Commission's CREA programme, which focuses on the causes and consequences of gender-based misinformation and, in particular, against women. The project analysed the levels of misinformation and the dominant themes in each of the partner countries (Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, France), which were then also formulated as challenges in an innovative feminist hackathon. In the next few months, social media campaigns will be launched in each country, involving influencers and subject matter experts, to focus public attention and debate on different aspects of gender-based misinformation, and to encourage the active involvement of civil society organisations, volunteers, and policy makers.
The project GenderED Coalition is funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), Creative Europe Program (CREA), under the call CREA-CROSS-2023-MEDIALITERACY.
