Bulgaria
is situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia on
the Balkan Peninsula.� The country borders Romania, Turkey, Greece,
Macedonia, Yugoslavia and the Black Sea.��
The 8.3 million population is comprised of
Slavic Bulgarians (83 percent), Turks (10 percent),
and Romany (6 percent), as well as smaller groups
of Russians, Armenians, Vlakhs, Greeks, Jews and others
(1 percent).� The main religions are Bulgarian Orthodox (85
percent) and Muslim (13 percent), but Roman Catholicism
and Judaism are also practiced.
Unlike
other Balkan countries, Bulgaria�
has not experienced a rise in ethnic tensions
and conflict. When popular and often violent protests
erupted in some Balkan countries in 1996-1997, demonstrations
in Bulgaria led to the non-violent resignation of
the government and a democratic election.� The country began introducing political reforms,
and political parties have respected the decisions
of� the Constitutional Court.
[3]
��
Bulgaria
has made progress toward improving relations with
its neighbors, particularly Macedonia and Turkey,
by establishing economic, political and cultural ties
and signing regional agreements.
[4]
�� In the last two years, the country has also
shown signs of recovery from economic crisis.
Political History
Acute
economic crisis led to massive protests against and
the fall of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BPS) government
in 1996.� Following
a democratic election in spring 1997, the new parliament
was elected and the pro-reform government of Prime
Minister Ivan Kostov of the center-right Union of
Democratic Forces (UDF) came to power.
[5]
� The current government has� been generally credited with bringing stability
and recovery to Bulgaria.
A
new constitution was adopted in 1991.
[6]
� According to analysts, the Constitution has
provided an important framework for the transition
and a crucial tool for political actors to resolve
problems and conflicts.� The Constitution� contains
a long list of human rights in conformity with the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),�
and it incorporates the rights included in
the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
[7]
Although
the rules and procedures established by the Constitution
have been respected, and the decisions of the Constitutional
Court have been observed, according to commentators,
the rule of law cannot be fully established until
the judiciary and the police become more effective.�
Deep rooted corruption and political pressure
to protect friends and supporters of certain individuals
in the power structure have hampered the effectiveness
of the law enforcement system.
[8]
� According to some commentators, corruption
has worsened as a result of privatization delays,
arbitrary administrative intervention, and the dramatically
declining real value of public officials� salaries.
[9]
� Organized crime and shady business groups have
dominated the most profitable industries such as banking
and credit, foreign trade, insurance, tourism and
entertainment, and construction.
[10]
This
highly unstable social environment has stalled improvement
in living standards and prevented vulnerable groups
from enjoying the rights guaranteed under the ICESCR.�� The majority of Bulgarians have suffered acute
economic insecurity, and family budgets are inadequate
for decent living.��
In addition, resources for intellectual and
cultural activities have been withdrawn from public
life.
[11]
Women in Politics
Women�s
representation in the power structures has declined
sharply since the fall of communism;� they constitute only 10.4 percent of the Bulgarian
parliament compared to 35 percent prior to 1989.� They make up 24 percent of the central government
and 16 percent of the local government officials.
Women
are practically absent from power and decision making
positions. Only three ministers are women: Foreign
Minister Nadezhda Mihaylova,�
Culture Minister Emma Moskova, and Environment
and Water Minister Evdokia Maneva.
[12]
� Women�s groups in Bulgaria emphasize that political
pressure and negative stereotyping of feminism prevent
them from addressing issues of concern to women.��
Even women who reach the high echelons of government
complain of bias and of exploitation by male colleagues
and party leaders.� Women who are active in politics are often
depicted as power thirsty, bad mothers and bad wives.
[13]
Freedom of� Expression and Human
Rights
Media
In
general, the Bulgarian media, including the independent
press, have enjoyed an improved work climate since
the Kostov government came�
to power in 1997, with the exception of smaller
towns, where local authorities wield unlimited power
and often attempt to intimidate and silence their
critics.�� But the majority of Bulgarians have access
to television news only on the state-run TV, and the
government has delayed the privatization of the second
nationally available� TV channel.�
The
sole alternative TV station, Nova Televizia,� is available only in the largest cities. Private
radio stations operate without licenses and risk shut-downs
at any time. December 1997 amendments to a highly
restrictive 1996 Law on Radio and Television
[14]
�� prohibit members� of the National Council on Radio and Television from interfering
with editorial policy.�
The ruling political parties, however, still
retain control over the radio and television, and
the Council will continue appointing the heads of
state media.� Parliament selects the majority of the Council�s
members, and the president appoints the remaining
ones.
[15]
� Among the ten private radio stations in Bulgaria,
only one of them, Darik
in Sofia, has done in-depth news reporting.�
Reporters
who have attempted to uncover instances of corruption
and expose organized crime suffered threats and violent
attacks in 1998.
[16]
� In May 1998, sulfuric acid was thrown in the
face of Anna Zarkova, editor of the crime news department
at Sofia daily Trud,�
as she was waiting at a bus stop.��
She suffered burns to her face and arms and
lost sight in her left eye.
[17]
�� Although Zarkova�s attacker confessed the
crime, the police have been unable to determine who
was behind the attack.� According to Zarkova, she had been receiving
threats since 1996 when she started writing about
corruption.� Zarkova covered corrupt prosecutors and government
officials, police violence and arms smuggling.�
According
to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), criminal
libel lawsuits against journalists increased significantly
in 1998. The Penal Code criminalized libel and defamation.�
In one case reported by CPJ, Yovka Atanassova,
owner and editor of the independent daily Starozagorsky Novini, received five five-month
criminal libel sentences and was ordered to serve
sixteen months in prison.�
In February 1999, the Penal Code was amended
to eliminate imprisonment of journalists.
[18]
Minorities
Despite
the lack of evident racial tension, some groups have
claimed discrimination. IWRAW is concerned that minority
women may suffer double discrimination, as women and
as members of minority ethnic groups.
Turks
The
largest Bulgarian minority, the Turks, numbers from
800,000 to one million
[19]
� and had suffered discrimination and forcible
assimilation under communism.
[20]
� In the mid-1980s Turks were required, under
threat of losing their jobs and going to jail, to
change their names to Slavic sounding ones.�
Mosques were closed down and strict limits
were put on Turkish language education.
[21]
The Zhivkov government ordered
a mass expulsion of people of Turkish origin which
led to the outflow of some 350,000 of Turks in the
end of 1980s.
[22]
The
post-communist governments restored Turks� rights
and, in recent years, Bulgarian authorities have taken
steps to improve the situation.�
The government plans to build new mosques and
train Turkish language teachers, and�
Parliament adopted a law addressing the issues
in November 1998. The press reported that in the 1999-2000
school year, the Turkish language will become compulsory
for pupils of Turkish origin, and a curriculum is
being drafted by a special commission within the country�s
Education Ministry. According to these reports, TV
and radio programs in Turkish are to become more widely
available.
[23]
In 1997, president Stoyanov visited
Turkey and apologized for the discrimination against
the Turkish minority under communism.
[24]
�
The
Turkish minority has been represented in all parliaments
in Bulgaria since 1989.� The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF)
has considered putting up joint candidates in�
the autumn 1999 local elections with the ex-communist
BSP.
[25]
Romanies
(Gypsies)
The
Romanies have consistently occupied the lowest social
stratum in Bulgaria and suffered from poverty and
prejudice.
[26]
� Gypsies were nomadic until the 1960s and are
largely uneducated; many are illiterate and unemployed.�
Bulgarian
Gypsies are impoverished partly as a result of discrimination
by the dominant society. Romanies� representatives
have reported that both public and private companies�
refuse to employ them. According to Andrei
Terziyski of the Gypsy Union, 92 percent of Romanies
living in Bulgarian cities are unemployed.�
They often live from proceeds of theft, prostitution
and begging. Authorities attribute over 30 percent
of crime to Romanies, and ninety percent of prison
inmates are Gypsies.
[27]
� The Romany groups claim that issues affecting
the Gypsy minority are often ignored by the media,
which contributes to ignorance, stereotyping, and
discrimination.
[28]
In
the communist era,� Gypsies were forced to settle on Soviet-style
collective farms or in housing projects, and they
were provided financial assistance and jobs.�
In the 1990s, they lost these positions and,
as of January 1999, the government stopped welfare
payments.�� In
June 1998, a number of Romanies went on a hunger strike
and one set himself on fire in a wave of protests
over discrimination and social ostracism.�
Discrimination
and violence against the 300,000 Romany (Gypsy) minority
continues to be widespread.�� Reports in 1998 indicated that security forces
harassed, physically abused and detained Romany street
children.� Romanies were also the victims of racist attacks;
police failed to take decisive action.� In May 1998, a 15-year-old was killed and several others were injured
by a group of skinheads. Human rights groups, including
the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, criticized the Bulgarian
authorities for failing to respond publicly to the
murder.� They
also pointed out that the police and courts do not
take these cases seriously.
[29]
�
In� April 1998,� government�s
National Ethnic and Demographic Council announced
that it planned to start drafting a program to improve
the status of Gypsies in Bulgaria.� The Council�s secretary, Petar Atanassov, said
that a Romany cultural and information center would
be established to promote education and assist the
community in finding jobs.
[30]
Macedonians
Neighboring
Macedonia claimed that the Macedonian minority within
Bulgaria had been oppressed in the past.�
In February 1999, the two countries normalized
relations by signing a joint declaration including
a renunciation of mutual territorial and nationality
claims, and solving a conflict concerning the naming
of the common language.
[31]
Economy
One
recent press report called Bulgaria a �success story
of the International Monetary Fund�
[32]
� as in the last two years, after a major economic
crisis in 1996-1997,�
the economy has shown some signs of recovery.�
Inflation has decreased and the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) grew by 4.5 percent in 1998, in contrast
to having shrunk by 6.9 a year earlier.� In 1998, unemployment fell to 11 percent from
14 percent.� Still,
the 1998 GDP constitutes only 66 percent of the 1989
level.�
The
post-communist economy continues its dependence on
unprofitable state enterprises.� Privatization has proceeded at a slow pace.��
In January 1999, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandur
Bozhkov stated that �we hope that by the end of this
year [1999] we will have forgotten there was a privatization
process.�
[33]
� According to some sources,� as of the beginning of 1999,� about 50 percent of companies were in private
hands
[34]
� but other data indicate that only 30 percent
of companies were privatized at the end of 1998.
[35]
In
July 1998, the UDF government and the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed on a three-year loan of
US$800 million to develop financial markets, improve
social safety net programs, strengthen the tax system,
reform agricultural and energy sectors, and continue
trade liberalization.�
Worker Rights
The
Bulgarian labor code was amended in 1996 in an effort
to bring it into line with International Labor Organization
(ILO) standards. The changes helped strengthen collective
bargaining by increasing the number of unions that
are allowed to bargain.
[36]
� The law, however, still prohibits strikes in
public health, energy, communications and water supply
industries.�� Additionally, trade unions are barred from
participation in political activities under threat
of dissolution.
[37]
�
In
1997, there were reports of worker exploitation and
labor law violations.�
The International Confederation of Free Trade
Unions (ICFTU) reported that��
some� textile companies in the Sandanski region hired workers without
contracts and made them work 12 to 14 hours per day,
including weekends.� According to ICFTU, one company forced employees
to work for 30 hours with only two breaks.� Workers were denied medical leave and were fired if they attempted
to start a union.
[38]
Women�s NGOs
Many
women activists emphasize that despite energetic efforts,
women�s human rights groups have not been very influential
in Bulgaria.� They
claim that �feminism� is a dirty word and women risked
being ostracized� if they call themselves feminists.� They also realize, as the more educated and
aware �elite,� there is a big gap between women involved
in NGOs and those who are not.
The
existing women�s human rights NGOs in Bulgaria focus
on a variety of issues, such as health, political
empowerment, legal aspects of women�s status, and
employment. One of the most active groups is the Women�s
Alliance for Development (WAD), which also serves
as an umbrella for several other groups.�
WAD has worked in coalition with other national
groups, as well as with women�s organizations and
projects in the Eastern and Central European region,
such as the KARAT Coalition and La
Strada II (international anti-trafficking and
prostitution project).� They organize conferences, work on specific
women�s human rights� projects, and publish a monthly
thematic magazine on women�s issues entitled Fair
Play.� Animus Association organizes training seminars
on issues surrounding violence against women in an
effort to increase societal awareness of the problem,
and it provides help and support to women who are
victims of violence.�
Animus also has worked with international organizations
on anti-trafficking� project La Strada II.�� A new NGO, the
Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation (BGRF) has focused
on projects related to women�s legal rights in development,
and on the protection of citizens� rights during privatization.�
BGRF cooperates with similar projects in Russia,
Poland and Ukraine.
[39]
The following report is based on the interviews that IWRAW conducted with
representatives of non-governmental organizations,
including human rights groups, as well as with�
representatives of the Bulgarian national parliament
and parliamentary human rights commission�
on a visit to Sofia, Bulgaria in September
1998, as well as on subsequent correspondence with
several activists in Sofia.���
In addition to background information obtained
from published books and articles, the report seeks
to convey� the
concerns that the individuals expressed at that time.
STATUS OF WOMEN IN BULGARIA
UNDER SPECIFIC ICESCR ARTICLES:
COVENANT ARTICLE 2: Non-Discrimination
and Obligation of States Parties
The
Bulgarian government has ratified all major international
human rights treaties, but non-governmental organizations
emphasize that awareness of these instruments and
attention given to them is very low in government
structures.
The
parliamentary Human Rights Commission received its
mandate following the change of government in 1997
and it has concentrated in three main areas: violence
and human rights, issues related to religious sects,
and petitions from citizens.� Zhaklin Toleva, legal advisor to the Human
Rights Commission, told IWRAW that the government
planned to work more closely with women�s and children�s
human rights organizations.� According to Toleva,� the Kostov government vowed to organize frequent
consultations with human rights NGOs.
[40]
Nonetheless, the Commission does
not have any projects related specifically to women,
and there is only one woman among seventeen members
of the Commission.
[41]
COVENANT ARTICLE 3: Equal Rights of Men and Women
Under-Representation of Women in Decision-Making
Although
Bulgarian women have the right to vote and to be elected
at all levels of government and publicly elected bodies,�
NGOs report that they are underrepresented
and that their voice is virtually not heard.�� It is a widespread opinion that women "do
not wish" to participate in political leadership,
that nothing prevents them from doing so, that women
themselves hold back and that they should prove that
they are as capable and deserve power as much as men
do.
[42]
Women
in public life very often are accused of being bad
mothers, bad wives, not "real" women, power-
thirsty etc.� They
are underrepresented at all levels of power, including
NGO leadership.�� Over the past seven years of transition, the number of women elected
as Members of Parliament has significantly decreased.� However, since the municipal elections in 1994,
the number of women appointed to public offices has
slightly increased (22.6 percent).�
Eight percent of mayors of cities and 15 percent
of mayors of small municipalities are women.� Three ministers and 9 deputy ministers out
of 15 are women.
[43]
COVENANT ARTICLE 6 and 7: Right to Work and
Right to Just and Favorable Conditions of Work
The
economic and political crisis of 1996-1997 and subsequent
re-structuring of economy exhausted the resources
of the Bulgarian population to an utmost extent. Women
were and are being affected more deeply than men due
to their traditional roles.� Women carry the main burden of unpaid family
work (approximately four hours per day ) in addition
to the waged work outside home.�
This creates specific obstacles for women in
the competition for jobs, that men do not face.� It affects their access to job training and
their health status.
[44]
Although
the unemployment rate of men and women does not differ
significantly, there is a growing gender-based income
stratification.� Only
28.5 percent of the leading managerial positions are
occupied by women.� In 1997, women made up 0.8 percent of employers
(men - 2.8 percent), 7.6 percent of self-employed
persons (men - 11.5 percent), and�
2.6 percent of unpaid family workers (men -
1.1 percent).�� Women
predominate in low-paid occupations, such as supporting
staff (75.5 percent), trade and services (64.1 percent),
odd jobs (51.5 percent).
[45]
Impoverishment
Two
thirds of the Bulgarian poor are women and their children.�
Poverty is growing among female-headed households,
which constitute 21.4 percent of households in Bulgaria,
and their number continues to grow due to women�s
higher life expectancy (life expectancy is 74.6 for
women and 67.1 for men
[46]
), the fall of the marriage rate
and the increasing number of divorces.�� 64.9 percent of female households are poor.
[47]
At
the same time, female poverty is almost invisible:
social discrimination and exclusion hides them at
home away from the public eye.�
Even if they qualify to receive social benefits,
they often lack the necessary information to obtain
them.
[48]
Quality of Employment and Discriminatory Practices
According
to surveys conducted in the last few years, more than
50 percent of women report poor working conditions.�
They also complain of a lack of options, particularly
of difficulty in access to promotions and decision-making
positions in the workplace.��
Additionally,�
because of discrimination against the disabled,
women with special physical needs are particularly
disadvantaged in the job market.
[49]
�
Privatization
and economic restructuring implemented by the current
government since 1997 is accompanied by violations
of the Labor Code, especially with regard to the� provisions affecting women.�� Some of the protective labor legislation was
repealed after 1992, such as the guarantee of equal
pay for equal work and the prohibition of laying off
pregnant women.� While
this was supposed to help women get jobs, in practice,
it legalized discriminatory practices.�
In addition, the remaining protection of pregnant
women and mothers of minors seriously limits their
opportunities and chances of career advancement.� Hiring� personnel
without a labor contract as a way to avoid taxes (income
tax, social insurance - until recently) is one of
the most frequent violations of the Labor Code.��
Women more often are offered jobs on short
term, at minimum wages and often without medical insurance
and other benefits, and they are more likely than
men to accept them.� Young women in particular are subjected to
such discriminatory employment practices.�
In addition, there is a high incidence of sexual
harassment.� Women over 35 years old have a much more difficult
time finding jobs. Job offers published� in the media contain requirements not relevant to the positions,
such as age limits and "nice appearance."
[50]
Despite
employers� declarations that they do not favor men
over women for certain jobs, in practice managerial
positions are commonly reserved for men, while women
are regarded as most appropriate for executive jobs
without decision-making powers.� Women are asked in job interviews about family
status, plans for number and age of children, while
men are not.
[51]
Legal
protection against employment discrimination is limited
by procedural issues.� The burden to prove the act of discrimination
resides with the employee, but in disputes with the
employer, they have no access to the necessary evidence.
[52]
�
COVENANT ARTICLE 9 and 10: Right to Social Security�
and Protection of the Family and of Mothers and Children
Child Delivery Services
The
Mothers� House Hospital in Sofia, the capital�s main
hospital for prenatal care and delivery, lacks basic
personnel and medications.�
Mothers are advised before admission to bring
their own nightgowns and sheets.� Some have also been advised to bring equipment
such as syringes and needles.�
Many bring medication, as hospitals are notoriously
known to run out of basic aids, such as anesthetics.�
According to an article by Peter Kanev, women
who cannot afford this luxury are told by nurses to
�hold on, you want to remember the time you became
a mother.�
[53]
� Women also have reported swarms of cockroaches
in the Mothers� Hospital wards.
[54]
As
the economic crisis led to the cuts in government
subsidies, health care was hit especially hard.� Under communism, citizens had access to free
medical care, including maternity.�
At present, women have to pay the equivalent
of US$27 for delivery while the average monthly salary
amounts to roughly US$180 (minus 30 percent taxes).� In addition, tipping doctors has become a standard
way of ensuring acceptable medical care.
[55]
Women
are guaranteed full wages for five months after childbirth
instead of two years that they once received.�
The situation is much harder for single mothers
and, according to Dr. Tatiana Kotzeva of the Association
of University Women, one-third of all births occur
out of wedlock.
[56]
Child Support
Dr.
Kotzeva criticized the system of child support.�
She has proposed a�
legislative project to change the law on child
support: the existing law does not provide adequate
remedies for women whose former partners fail to pay.�
Child support claims can take several years
to process, as the judge looks for the father.�
Even if it is paid,�
current child allowance awards are totally
insufficient: approximately US$4.5 (8000 lev) per
month for the first child,�
US$6.70 (12000 lev) for the second and US$9.5
(17000 lev) for the third child.
[57]
COVENANT ARTICLE 11: Right to an Adequate Standard of Living
Boika
Vitanova of Women�s Alliance for Development (WAD)
told IWRAW that the living conditions in rural areas
are especially difficult.��
There are no health centers, few schools and
jobs, and bus lines are practically non-existent.� Child mortality figures are higher as these
areas are often close to industrial centers and have
high rates of pollution.��
According to Vitanova, no official data are
available on urban transportation, homelessness and
other issues related to rural zones.
Romanies
residing in rural areas are in a particularly precarious
situation as they live on land to which they have
no legal right.
[58]
� They typically live in barracks without sewage
and water.�� Because
of the lack of� land
regulation, when former owners claim their rights
to the land, the Romanies are expelled and become
homeless.
Bulgaria
has no housing regulations for the disabled to make
it easier for them to access sidewalks and buildings.�
COVENANT ARTICLE 12: Right to Physical and Mental Health
Impact of Economic Crisis and Restructuring
Women
have experienced the a significant deterioration in
the field of health care. With the cut back of spending
for health care (by�
3 to� 5 percent as a percentage of� GDP in the period 1993-1997) guaranteed access
to medical service is disappearing: a number of primary
health centers and hospitals were closed down or now
operate with reduced capacity.
The
negative population growth (- 0,4 per thousand in�
1990, -2,2 in 1992, -5,4 in 1996) has had direct
political and psychological impact on the status of
women, as they are most often blamed for "being
too emancipated" and "not wishing to have
children." In 1990, abortion was liberalized,
but the cost is about 33 percent of the average monthly
salary.
[59]
Abortion and Family Planning
Abortion
was liberalized in Bulgaria in 1990 (according to
some sources, prior to that women were required to
obtain� their
husband�s consent and were allowed to have�
an abortion only after giving birth to two
children).
[60]
� Today, abortion is the primary method of contraception
� although there remains a strong cultural prejudice
against women who decide have them
[61]
� mainly as a result of high cost
of alternative methods.�� In 1996, the number of legal abortions totaled
98,000 (compared to 72,000 births).
[62]
���� No pre-abortion counseling is offered.�
While
only a few years ago modern contraceptives were unavailable
or simply unknown, today a variety of hormonal contraceptives,
IUD, condoms, spermicides and diaphragms can be purchased
in pharmacies� at
a price of 15 to 40 percent of the average monthly
salary.�� According
to a recent study, only 22 percent of Bulgarian women
use contraceptives.�
At the same time, there is a considerable increase
of mothers under the age of� 18 (nine times higher compared to the beginning
of the century).��
In most cases young mothers have not completed
their education and/or are� jobless.
[63]
Some
activists indicate that the ignorance and disregard
as to reproductive health results also from the patriarchal
�shyness� of the society and the unwillingness of
the state health education system to offer a sex education
program.
[64]
� In 1997, the Health Ministry decided to distribute
free contraceptives to students and to women with
more than three children to fight the high abortion
rate.
[65]
� The results of the campaign are unknown.
Violence Against Women
Violence
against women, particularly spousal abuse, is a serious
problem.� Every year, about 60,000 women and girls become victims of violence
(rape, physical abuse, etc.).��
Sixty to 70 percent of the perpetrators are
colleagues, or neighbors, relatives, spouses or friends.�
In Sofia, at least 15 women die annually as
a result of spousal abuse.
[66]
� The press reported that just during the Christmas
holiday period in 1998, 30 women were treated in Sofia
hospitals for injuries inflicted by husbands and partners,
such as broken ribs and facial injuries.
[67]
� Police do not interfere in what is regarded
the private sphere.
[68]
Violence
within the family is not treated as a crime unless
it results in major physical impairment.�� In reality, if a women is stabbed by a stranger
on the street, the state authorities do prosecute
the offender, but if the woman is attacked and stabbed
by her husband at home, often there is no further
prosecution.� In
most cases, the attacker has only to pay a fine or
receives a provisional penalty.� Another measure frequently taken is compulsory
treatment for alcoholism, because domestic violence
is regarded a medical problem.��
Most of the cases against perpetrators of violence
(which must be� initiated by victims as a private complaint) conclude by abandonment
or by out-of-court settlements.�
There is no legal definition of gender-based
violence, nor the courts keep statistics on cases
of violence.� The
Penal Code and other relevant legal provisions appear
"gender-neutral," but women carry a disproportionate
burden in enforcement, as the victim has to file the
complaint against a violent man, with whom as a rule
she shares her home, and she is responsible for her
own safety during the trial, as well as for the safety
of any witnesses.
[69]
Trafficking and Prostitution
Trafficking
of women is a fairly new phenomenon for Bulgaria.�
Since 1989 there has been an alarming increase
in traffic in women in and from Bulgaria, and police
officials and social assistance organizations in both
Eastern and Western Europe so far have been able to
only reach a fraction of the victims.�
Traffic in women is often invisible: victims
are hidden away from the world by their recruiters
and those who return home are silent out of fear and
shame. Often they have nowhere to go and sometimes
see no other choice than to return to prostitution.
[70]
According
to information provided by Animus,
a Sofia-based NGO participating in an international
project La Strada
II aimed at fighting the trafficking of women
into prostitution, more than 10,000 Bulgarian women
have been forced into prostitution abroad.
[71]
�� These women, who seek legitimate jobs as servants
or baby-sitters in Western Europe through some dubious
employment agencies based in Bulgaria, become victims
of crime and are eventually lured into brothels and
sex slavery.�� They
are usually taken to other East European countries� and then illegally transferred to Germany, Belgium, Italy and the
Netherlands.
[72]
As of August 1998, 20 women were
able to escape and subsequently testified to Animus.�
HIV/AIDS
So
far the spread of AIDS in Bulgaria has been slow,
but the World Bank and the UNDP warned in 1998 that
poverty, high migration rates, and increasing number
of drug addicts� contributed to a growing number of HIV/AIDS
cases in Bulgaria.�
Although the government has adopted some preventive
measures, NGOs claim that a comprehensive AIDS strategy
is needed to avert an epidemic.
[73]
Older Women
According
to the 1995 UNDP report, women who are no longer of
reproductive age are not screened by the health system.�
Periodic check-ups and specialized consultation
services for older women are not provided.
[74]
Psychological Disorders
Bulgaria
ranks 12th out of 23 European countries in the suicide
rate among women, and suicide has been on the rise
in the last three years.�
Cases of depression and neurosis, and the consumption
of tranquilizers and other medication, have increased.
[75]
COVENANT ARTICLES 13 and 14: Right to Education
Gender Gap in Education and Training
There
is a serious gap between women�s high educational
level and their professional training level.� An increasing number of young women finish
secondary school without professional training.� The majority of female university students choose a specialty within
the humanities, which prepares them for work in humanitarian
professions or in administration. Job opportunities
are limited in these fields, and the women are either
forced to change jobs frequently or to get additional
training. Training courses are not designed�
to allow women with small or handicapped children
or disabled women to attend. Access to such courses
is often hampered because of bureaucratic procedures,
an insufficient infrastructure and the lack of skilled
trainers.
[76]
REVIEWS BY OTHER UN HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS:
Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women: Bulgaria.4/05/98.A/53/38, paras.208-261.
Recommendations:
�
Pay particular attention and provide detailed descriptions
of measures to change the prevailing attitudes and
policies with regard to women's role in the home,
to remove stereotypes from school books and from other
facets of the education system, so as to overcome
the legal, economic and social problems of female
heads of households with children, to combat all forms
of discrimination against women in employment and
to improve women's access to free legal aid and the
standard of living of rural women.
�
Introduce a definition of discrimination modeled on
article 1 of the Convention into its constitution
and other relevant laws.
�
Give priority to the establishment of a strong and
effective national machinery with adequate financial
and human resources for advancing the position of
women in Bulgaria.�
Special attention should be given to where
this machinery should be placed within the Government
structure to make it as effective as possible.
�
Embark upon the procedure of setting up an appropriate
national machinery for the promotion of women's rights
using the experience of other European Governments
that have been through the same procedure in the past.
�
Appoint an ombudsperson, in accordance with the current
proposal before Parliament, and allocate sufficient
resources enable the office to function effectively.
The ombudsperson should also be provided with a clear
mandate to address gender issues.
�
Adopt temporary, special measures, in accordance with
paragraph 1 of article 4 of the Convention,�
in all necessary areas, particularly in the
areas of employment and political decision-making,
to accelerate the de facto situation of equality for
women in Bulgaria. The Committee suggests that the
Government give further consideration to the nature
and role of affirmative action. Experts of the Committee
could be called upon to provide further information
and assistance to the Government in that respect.
�
Strengthen legislative measures protecting women against
all forms of violence, both public and private.� In particular, provision should be made for
the prosecution of offenders even in the absence of
a complaint by the victim. The Committee urges the
Government to develop an array of medical, psychological
and other measures to assist women victims of violence
and to change prevailing attitudes to domestic violence,
which view it as a private problem, and to encourage
women to seek redress. A range of strategies are available,
including the utilization of popular music, theater
and so on, with the cooperation of civil society,
including women's organizations.
�
Cooperate at the regional and international levels
with regard to the problem of trafficking in women
and their exploitation through prostitution.��
Address� women's economic vulnerability, which is the
root cause of the problem.�
Review and amend national legislation in accordance
with the Convention, create effective administrative
and police structures, conduct media sensitization
and training campaigns and promote the work of women's
non-governmental organizations in this area.
�
Develop appropriate measures to address poverty amongst
women, particularly the most vulnerable women, including
elderly women, women with children and women with
disabilities.
�
Undertake efforts to collect statistical information
on the social, economic and political status of women
of different ethnic minorities.
�
Take special measures to encourage women to become
entrepreneurs.� Provide
training and take measures to facilitate access to
credit and loans for women, in particular rural women.
�
Facilitate consultations between Bulgarian women's
non-governmental organizations and other European
women's non-governmental organizations, in order to
discuss Bulgarian women's issues and receive any necessary
assistance.
Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination: Bulgaria 23/04/97. CERD/C/304/Add.29.
No recommendations concerning women were issued by this Committee.
Concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child :
Bulgaria. 24/01/97.
CRC/C/15/Add.66.
No recommendations concerning women were issued by this Committee
Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee: Bulgaria.. 03/08/93.
CCPR/C/79/Add.24 .
Concerns:
�
The continuing exodus of Bulgarian citizens of Turkish
ethnic origin as well as about the many disadvantages
experienced by the Romany (Gypsy) minority.
�
Very little information was provided about the status
of women and their participation in public life.
[1]
�Lonely Planet - Destination
Bulgaria,�� Lonely Planet, on-line, available at www.lonelyplanet.com>,
accessed on 4 April 1999.
[2]
�Bulgarian President Urges National
Reconciliation in Annual Address,� Xinhua News Agency, 22 January 1999, on-line,
Nexis, 17 February 1999.
[3]
John D. Bell, ed.�
Bulgaria in Transition: Politics, Economics, Society, and Culture After
Communism (Boulder: Westview Press, 1998), 3-5.
[4]
Kevin Done, �Still Hurdles to
Overcome,� Financial
Times (London), 8 March 1999, on-line, Nexis,
18 March 1999.
[5]
�Bulgarian President Urges National
Reconciliation in Annual Address,� Xinhua News Agency, 22 January 1999,�
on-line, Nexis, 17 February 1999.
[7]
Evgeni Tanchev, �The Constitution
and the Rule of Law,� In:� John D. Bell, ed.� Bulgaria
in Transition: Politics, Economics, Society, and
Culture After Communism (Boulder: Westview Press,
1998).
[8]
Roumen Daskalov, �A Democracy
Born in Pain: Bulgarian Politics, 1989-1997,� In: John D. Bell, ed.� Bulgaria
in Transition: Politics, Economics, Society, and
Culture After Communism (Boulder: Westview Press,
1998), 24-25.
[9]
Roumen Daskalov, 24-25.
[11]
Genoveva Tisheva - Bulgarian
Gender Research Foundation (BGRF), correspondence
with IWRAW, 3 April 1999.
[12]
�People in Power: Bulgaria,�
Janet Matthews
Information Services-CIRCA (Cambridge International
Reference on Current Affairs), January 1999,
on-line, Nexis, 17 February 1999.
[13]
Christina Kotchemidova, report
received through the Network of East West Women,
<[email protected]> on 13 November
1998.
[14]
Committee to Protect Journalists,
Country Report
1997: Bulgaria, available at www.cpj.org/countrystatus/1997/Europe/Bulgaria.html,
accessed on 16 March 1999.
[17]
�Paying the Price for Her Reporting,�
American Journalism
Review� (December
1998), on-line, Nexis, 17 February 1999.
[18]
Committee to Protect Journalists.
[19]
�Turks and Bulgars Make Up,�
Economist,
27 February 1999, on-line, Nexis, 18 March 1999.
[20]
Antonina Zhelyazkova, �Bulgaria�s
Muslim Minorities,� In: John D. Bell, ed.� Bulgaria in Transition: Politics, Economics,
Society, and Culture After Communism (Boulder:
Westview Press, 1998), 168-169.
[21]
�Turks and Bulgars Make Up.�
[22]
Roumen Daskalov, 16-17.
[23]
�Bulgarians to Learn Turkish
Language,� Middle
East News, 7 February 1999, on-line, Nexis,
18 March 1999.
[24]
�Turks and Bulgars Make Up.�
[26]
Antonina Zhelyazkova, �Bulgaria�s
Muslim Minorities,� In: John D. Bell, ed.� Bulgaria in Transition: Politics, Economics,
Society, and Culture After Communism (Boulder:
Westview Press, 1998), 171-172.
[27]
�Rights Groups Slam Bulgaria
Over Gypsy Attacks,� Agence
France Presse, 20 May 1998, on-line, Nexis,
18 March 1998.
[28]
�Gypsy Sets Himself Alight in
Bulgaria Protest,� Agence
France Presse, 2 June 1998, on-line, Nexis,
18 March 1999.
[29]
Rights Groups Slam Bulgaria Over
Gypsy Attacks.�
[30]
�Bulgaria to Promote Integrating
of its Gypsies,� AAP
Newsfeed, 8 April 1998, on-line, Nexis, 18 March
1999.
[31]
Willian Pfaff, �Good News from
the Balkans: Bulgaria and Macedonia,� International Herald Tribune (Neuilly-sur-Seine,
France), 9 March 1999, on-line, Nexis, 18 March
1999.
[32]
Kevin Done,�Currency Board is
a Boost to Stability,� Financial Times (London),� 8
March 1999, on-line, Nexis, 24 March 1999.
[33]
�Minister Says Privatization
Programme 50 Percent Complete,� British Broadcasting� Corporation,
21 January 1999, on-line, Nexis, 18�
March 1999.
[35]
Genoveva Tisheva - Bulgarian
Gender Research Foundation (BGRF), correspondence
with IWRAW, 3 April 1999.
[36]
The International Confederation
of Free Trade Unions, 1998 Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Right: Bulgaria
(Brussels: ICFTU, 1998): 114-115.
[39]
Genoveva Tisheva, Bulgarian Gender
Research Foundation (BGRF), interview with IWRAW,
24 September 1998.
[40]
Zhaklin Toleva, legal advisor
to the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, interview
with IWRAW, Sofia, Bulgaria, 25 September 1998.
[42]
Regina Indsheva, Women�s
Alliance for Development (WAD), correspondence
with IWRAW, 1 April 1999.
[46]
�Bulgaria Sees High Mortality,
Low Birth Rate,� Xinhua
News Agency, 26 March 1998, on-line, Nexis,
17 February 1999.
[47]
Regina Indsheva, Women�s
Alliance for Development (WAD), correspondence
with IWRAW, 1 April 1999.
[49]
UNDP (1995), �Women�s Health
in Bulgaria - The Exhausted Resource,�� Women�s
Global Network for Reproductive Rights Newsletter
62, no. 2 (1998), 12.
[50]
Regina Indsheva, Women�s
Alliance for Development (WAD), correspondence
with IWRAW, 1 April 1999.
[53]
Peter Kanev, �Loving, but Poor:
Motherhood after Communism,� WIN (Women�s International Net) Magazine no. 8 (1998).
[56]
Dr. Tatiana Kotzeva, interview
with IWRAW in Sofia Bulgaria, 23 September 1998.
[57]
Genoveva Tisheva - Bulgarian
Gender Research Foundation (BGRF), correspondence
with IWRAW, 3 April 1999.
[58]
Boika Vitanova, interview with
IWRAW in Sofia, Bulgaria, 24 September 1998.
[59]
Regina Indsheva, Women�s
Alliance for Development (WAD), correspondence
with IWRAW, 1 April 1999.
[60]
UNDP (1995), �Women�s Health
in Bulgaria - The Exhausted Resource,� 12.
[61]
Dr. Tatiana Kotzeva, interview
with IWRAW in Sofia Bulgaria, 23 September 1998.
[62]
�Bulgaria to Distribute Free
Contraceptives to Schoolgirls,� Agence France Presse, 3 December 1997, on-line, Nexis, 17 February
1999.
[63]
Regina Indsheva, Women�s
Alliance for Development (WAD), correspondence
with IWRAW, 1 April 1999.
[64]
UNDP (1995), �Women�s Health
in Bulgaria - The Exhausted Resource,� 12.
[65]
�Bulgaria to Distribute Free
Contraceptives to Schoolgirls,� Agence France Presse, 3 December 1997, on-line, Nexis, 17 February
1999.
[66]
�Extramarital Birth in Bulgaria
Reaches 14 Percent,� Xinhua NewsAgency, on-line 19 January 1999, Nexis, 17 February 1999.
[67]
�30 Women Beaten, Sent to Hospital
during Holidays in Bulgaria,� Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 28 December 1998, on-line, Nexis, 17 February
1999.
[68]
Regina Indsheva, Women�s
Alliance for Development (WAD), correspondence
with IWRAW, 1 April 1999.
[71]
Veselin Zhelev, �Thousands of
Bulgarian Job-Seekers in Western Europe Forced into
Prostitution,� Associated
Press, 5 August 1998, on-line, Nexis, 17 February
1999.
[73]
�Bulgaria Expected to Encounter
Rise in Number of AIDS cases,� Xinhua News Agency, 30 November 1998, on-line, Nexis, 24 March 1999.
[74]
UNDP (1995), �Women�s Health
in Bulgaria - The Exhausted Resource,� 12.
[76]
Regina Indsheva, Women�s
Alliance for Development (WAD), correspondence
with IWRAW, 1 April 1999.
