Tea For Two

Flýtilyklar

Valmynd
Meginmál
Deildarval

Gender equality in Bulgaria

Bulgarian national legislation is approximated and harmonized with the acquis communautaire in the area of equal treatment of women and men, aside of Directive 79/7/EEC regarding the statutory social security schemes offering protection against the risks of sickness, invalidity, old age, accidents at work and occupational diseases and unemployment and in social assistance.

The Legal guarantees for gender equality are contained in:

Bulgarian Constitution and many Laws (Labour Code – Article 8, Paragraph 3 and the special protection of pregnant women and mothers; the Law on Employment Promotion – Article 2; the Law on Social Assistance – Art. 3; the Law on Civil Service – Art. 35; the Social Security Code – Art. 3; the Civil Procedure Code – equality of spouses in front of the law; equal legal means of protection in legal proceedings; the Penal Code – particular protection of violations against women’s gender inviolability, which make the PC one of the most democratic and humane in Europe; the Penal Procedure Code – guaranteeing equal treatment of women and men in the court; Law on Execution Of the Penalties, the Law on Public Education – Art. 4; the Law on Higher Education – Art. 4; the Law on Safety and Health at Work – Art. 16; the Law on Protection Of the Child – Art. 10, etc.).

Specialized Laws – the Law for Protection Against Discrimination, the Law on Combating the Traffic in Human Beings, the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence, the Law on Ombudsman.

Since 2000 the policy of equal treatment for women and men (i.e. gender policy) in the Republic of Bulgaria is under the responsibility and competence of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

In 2003 the Consultative Commission for Equal Opportunities for Men and Women to the Minister of labour and social policy was established, with the purpose to consult the development of the yearly National Plan for Employment Promotion.

Since 2004 in MLSP was created a separate unit, designed to develop, coordinate, implement and monitor the gender policy – the Equal Opportunities for Women and Men sector, which was incorporated in the Demographic Policy, Social Investments and Equal Opportunities directorate in October 2005.

In November 2004 the foundations of a national structure of equal treatment for women and men had been set with the establishment of the National Council on Equality between Women and Men to the Council of Ministers (NCE). Its chairperson is the Minister of labour and social policy. The Council is a constant body with consultative functions. Its members are deputy ministers, heads of agencies and representatives of the social partners. As a supervisors and experts there are also representatives of the NGOs, working in the field of gender equality.

Since the beginning of 2005 in all institutions and organizations there are appointed coordinators in relation with the secretariat of the National Council and focal points, responsible for the policy of equality between women and men in the respective area. Delegated officials were also assigned to participate in the National Council, entitled to make decisions on Council Members’ behalf. Thus, the national structure in charge to elaborate and implement the gender equality policy was built and the respective state officials have undergone gender education for carrying out the principles of equal treatment for women and men projects of MLSP, financed by the state budget, the MATRA Programme of the Nederland government and ILO.

In 2005 the first National Action Plan for Gender Equality Promotion was implemented, adopted with a Decision of the Council of Ministers. With the National Plans the institutions and organizations include the subjects of equal treatment in their programmes. The measures in the Plan are in compliance with the Beijing platform for action, adopted on the Fourth UN World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995, and are a mechanism for the implementation of the state policy of equality in every field of social, economic and political life. The Action Plans define 11 main targets. In 2006 the second National Action Plan for Gender Equality Promotion was partially carried out, but due to financial reasons wasn’t fully implemented.

In 2005 the Council of Ministers submitted a Draft Bill on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men at the National Assembly.

ISSUES STILL TO BE SOLVED:

The complete National Mechanism for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in the sense of the Beijing platform for action, adopted on the Fourth UN World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995 is not established yet.

The functioning of the National Council on Equality between Women and Men to the Council of Ministers is not financially provided.

The Gender Equality Policy is implemented through the National Action Plan for Encouragement of Equality between Women and Men with financial resources from the budgets of the respective Ministries. Numerous measures cannot be implemented due to lack of designated resources.

The mechanism for applying the equal pay principle is lacking.

The legal grounds for applying temporary measures promoting equality is lacking.