Roma Policy Lab

gender-based violence

Domestic and gender-based violence in Bulgaria. Methodology for Monitoring Policy and Institutional Practice

This publication is an analysis of the practical application, implementation, and evaluation of concrete legal, strategic, and policy measures set to counter the phenomenon of gender based and domestic violence in Bulgaria. Consequently, it shows how data, statistics and insights collected with respect to these types of violence could be interpreted and put into context. Ultimately, the methodology is intended to serve as a useful tool for experts, helping them identify and define acute challenges, key areas for improvement, as well as existing best practices.

Project: “Research and Prevention of Violence Against Roma Women in the Municipalities of Kuklen, Perushtitsa and Rodopi”

The specific objectives of the project were, going deep into the issue through a series of researches, observations and analysis, to build a bridge between institutions and Roma communities at the local level and to help build trust between them, to influence local policies by developing a local model for the work of institutions in the municipalities of Rhodopes, Kuklen, Perushtitsa on cases of violence against women in Roma communities.

What are abuse, violence and crimes in the name of honour and why they are a problem not just for individual communities, but for the society as a whole?  

What are abuse, violence and crimes in the name of honour and why they are a problem not just for individual communities, but for the whole of society? This continues to be an open question and task before the Bulgarian legislation and the responsible institutions.

Project “Social and legal action to combat honor related abuse”

The Bulgarian legislation does not have a definition of honour abuse or violence and a data collection system which leads to impunity for offenders and inadequate protection for victims. The project sets out to carry out a national representative study of the issue among the various ethnic groups of Roma, Jews, Turks and Bulgarian as well as among asylum seekers who have been granted international protection, drawing comparison with the situation and good practices from Norway, analyse Bulgarians’ awareness and attitude to the issue, develop and submit to the public institutions recommendations for changes to the policies and legislation to prevent and solve such cases effectively.

Project: “Improving the access to justice for people living under the poverty line with a special emphasis on women, children and Roma”

The main aim of the project is to further expand the system for legal aid provision to encompass more citizens with vulnerable background as well as to strengthen the state’s role in reaction to domestic and gender-based violence while exercising its duties to ensure equal and fair access to justice and legal aid to people whose fundamental human rights have been violated.

Project “Ensuring effective protection against gender based violence against Roma women and girls”

The main goal of the project is to propose new approaches in working with vulnerable groups of women, by including them in these processes; to increase the capacity of professionals to apply a gender-sensitive approach to violence prevention in their work with vulnerable groups of women; to raise a debate about the role of Roma women in society; to raise public awareness of the problems of Roma women and the multiple discrimination they face.