Empowering Women in Bulgaria's Political Landscape
Women in Bulgaria face several challenges when it comes to political participation, including gender-based stereotypes, the wage gap, the prevalence of male standards and political attitudes in many institutions, balancing family and work responsibilities, and a lack of funding and training for capacity-building.
The Active Women—Prosperous Democracy project, led by the Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitry Panitza”, aimed to address this by empowering women in the regions of Blagoevgrad, Kardzhali, and Razgrad. Driven by a thorough needs analysis, it ran from March to October 2024.
The primary objective was to enhance the skills and capacity of women for effective participation in decision-making processes. This goal was accomplished through regional training sessions and a joint seminar that brought together women leaders and members of the local authorities to encourage cooperation and improve women’s involvement in governance.
The focus areas included opportunities for public participation, the democratic process and the role of the media within it, the structure and principles of the municipal budget, the implementation and monitoring of social services at the local level, communication skills, and conflict resolution. The trainings involved 64 women and engaged various civic leaders, youth, and citizens from diverse backgrounds.
One of the key achievements was the election of one participant as a city councilor in Razlog. Her participation in the training significantly improved her knowledge and skills, enabling her to contribute effectively to her community despite being new to the city council and representing a minority group. Her success exemplifies the project’s impact on individual participants and their communities.
The project’s sustainability is ensured through ongoing dissemination of knowledge and continued support for women leaders, and there are plans to expand this initiative to other regions of the country.
Overall, the Active Women—Prosperous Democracy project is a testament to the power of targeted training and collaboration in empowering women and fostering democratic participation in Bulgaria.
The Active Women— Prosperous Democracy project, supported by the Engaging Central Europe program of the Transatlantic Foundation, was implemented under the PROTEUS program and co-funded by the European Union.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Transatlantic Foundation (TF) or the European Union (EU). Neither the EU nor TF can be held responsible for them.
