In a series of interviews, we introduce you to the policies and practices of companies that have been awarded the Badge of Distinction for Significant Achievements in the Effective Implementation of the Gender Equality Policy, which is awarded annually by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

We discuss the topic with VMware Bulgaria and their Vice President Global Sites Strategy, Diana Stefanova

Both in 2022 and 2023 VMware Bulgaria Ltd. was awarded with the Badge of Distinction for Significant Achievements in the Field of Equality between Women and Men. What are the internal policies that you implement and helped you achieve this honour?

Central to VMware’s organisational culture are the principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). DEI policies and initiatives are developed by a global team whose strategic partner in defining goals and their implementation is the company’s senior management.  The goals are integrated into our business strategy and their progress is monitored in real time. All employees in the company are committed to achieving them, but a very key partner in this process are the so-called Power of Difference Communities – a global network of employee communities who strongly believe in the DEI principles and recognise them as their personal priority. They work at the local level to implement policies and change attitudes. At VMware, we remember that we are part of a huge ecosystem – for this reason, our DEI activities are directed both internally to the company’s employees and externally for positive change at the community level.

Among the initiatives that were highly appreciated by the “Ministry of Labour and Social Policy” are:

• Our long-standing partnership with Women Who Code – a global organisation whose mission is to attract more women to the IT sector. VMware supports the activities of the Bulgarian chapter of Women Who Code financially and with speakers. Its annual calendar includes events (over 100 so far), seminars and lectures aimed at career guidance and development of women in IT. The WWC community in Bulgaria has over a thousand members already.
• Another priority of VMware is the development of young talents in STEM. Our Talent Boost education programme involves young professionals and students from the field of technical studies with the goal to develop and enrich their knowledge in computer science. We always strive to attract an equal number of girls and boys to the programme. Successful Talent Boost graduates get the opportunity to join our internship programme. For 2022, for example, 48% of graduates were girls. They can join the Women Connecting Women mentoring programme, where they draw on the knowledge and experience of more senior colleagues.
• The initiatives aimed at external audiences are complemented by VMware’s series of events called Empower Her (record of two of the events: in 2022, 2021). These are aimed at women in the technology sector and have the main objective of helping them in their social and professional development, building an environment for sharing best practices, experience and skills. Other similar events that VMware supports aimed at younger audiences are Girls in AI and Teens in AI.

Internal initiatives include a huge range of learning and development opportunities:

• In 2022, we ran a mentoring programme for managers, in which 46% of participants were women. One of the main objectives of this programme was to support the professional development of the participants, with a focus on developing key skills for senior management positions.
• Over the past year, a number of colleagues went through 6-month programmes tailored to their individual needs and goals, delivered through the BetterUp global coaching platform.
• Reverse Mentorship is an innovative global programme where the approach of classic mentoring programmes is reversed and younger colleagues are given the opportunity to mentor more senior ones.
• At VMware, we have offered flexible working hours for years, aiming to help every employee find a work-life balance. In the context of women, this allows for a better balance between being a mother and a successful professional.
• The company’s office is also in line with the policy of equality and support for women, as there is a special room (mother’s room) for mothers with small children, which provides a breastfeeding chair, a diaper changing station and toys. The room also has a kitchenette with a kettle to prepare formula milk. More about the office can be seen here.
• Extended Paternity Leave – VMware provides 16 weeks of paid paternity leave which is 100% paid by the company. This is a programme aimed at promoting equality between men and women both in and out of the workplace. The extended duration of paternity leave provides young dads with the opportunity to spend more time with their newborn children, building an emotional bond with them through daily care. They are also able to provide support for the whole family at this crucial time in all parents’ lives.

How does the application of these policies positively affect your company?

The research is clear about the many benefits to business:

• According to Glassdoor, for 76% of active job seekers, one of the main factors in choosing an employer is how well they implement policies that benefit diversity and gender equality.
• A Deloitte study shows that such companies are 83% more likely to be innovative and, according to the Great Place to Work Institute, employees are 5.4 times more likely to stay long-term.

However, positive results are observed when investments in DEI programmes and policies are a long-term priority for businesses. We have been integrating DEI as part of our business strategy since 2014. Then, the percentage of women in the company was 22.6% and today it is 30%.

Earlier, I mentioned what an important part Power of Difference Communities is to implementing our DEI strategy globally. To date there are 23 of them, each with at least two senior leaders who are their sponsors, ambassadors, advisors and guarantors that the PoD communities’ goals are aligned with the strategic goals of the business.

In 2021, we introduced a new recruitment model called Go Hiring, where the approach to assessing candidates’ skills is different from the traditional one. It focuses on a candidate’s overall potential, their analytical and problem-solving skills and individual attributes. Since the implementation of Go Hiring at the level of job adverts, interview process and skills assessment, we have reported 80% more applications, twice as many women, as well as those who identify as part of under-represented groups, amongst our candidates. The company uses career ads and postings that are written in gender-neutral language. In the candidate interviewing process, the panel of interviewers includes both women and men to ensure maximum candidate comfort and objective judgment during the process.

So far, more than 100 members of PoD communities around the world have been through the six-month Better Up leadership development coaching programme. Feedback shows a greater sense of belonging (11%), better coaching skills (22%), increased adaptability and resilience to change and challenges (23%).

Our annual calendar also includes trainings such as Unconscious Bias & Inclusive Leadership in Action to better understand how our perceptions, attitudes and behaviours impact the company culture. To date, over 2/3 of VMware’s global team has gone through these interactive trainings, as well as over 70% of the company’s leaders.

These are just some of the outcomes we measure to make sure programmes are successful. In addition, we conduct colleague surveys every quarter. Globally, 86% believe the company’s work culture encourages the free expression of opinions, and 83% recognise the company’s senior leaders as ambassadors of equality and diversity principles. 79% confirm that the business group in which they work takes specific  actions to build a culture of inclusion.

Transparent pay and career development procedures are an important factor in promoting equality in the workplace. A Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms has recently been adopted and is to be transposed into the national legislation. What are your company’s internal policies on transparency and equal pay for equal work?

At VMware, we apply this principle and ensure compliance. Our latest global survey shows that at VMware, women receive 99% of what their male colleagues are paid. This policy is also applied for employees of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, where pay is equivalent.

We continuously monitor remuneration levels in all VMware branches worldwide, taking into account various factors such as position, level of expertise, tenure in the company and respective role, individual performance, etc.

Your company works in the field of software solutions and although Bulgaria is in the leading positions in the European Union for women employed in the information and communication technologies, men still occupy prevalent positions. What is the ratio of women to men in your company and are there women in leadership roles?

Our global data shows that nearly 30% of our employees are women. This percentage is also valid for Bulgaria. We follow specific targets to increase the representation of women in our teams globally, which are measured and updated on an annual basis.

Building a diverse and inclusive workplace is critical to our success. VMware has a strong commitment, which is embedded in our program of ESG goals with a deadline of 2030, to increase the percentage of women employees to 50%. In addition, we are also aiming for management roles over the same time period to be distributed in favour of diversity, which means 50% of them being filled by underrepresented groups. More information on the targets can be found in our annual DEI reports (2022 and 2023).

Do you think there is a need for legislative changes and more specific policies at a national level to encourage employers to implement internal gender equality measures?

Both national policies and companies’ understanding of the importance of the topic are equally relevant. In the technology sector, where VMware operates, we have talked for a long time about gender equality and diversity in the workplace (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion). We operate in a highly competitive labour market and having these internal measures and policies in place, as we have seen from the Glassdoor research, is crucial for attracting the best professionals.  

The competition organised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is a step in the right direction, as it puts the issue on the agenda of society and business in Bulgaria. As far as the IT sector is concerned, we still have a lot of work to do to improve the ratio of employed men to women. We need a qualitative change here, which starts with the younger generation, and our role is to show them how vast the world of technology is, to break the stigma that engineering professions are not among the so-called ‘women’s professions’. Together with the institutions, we need to work more consistently at school level and then at university level. We need to give more visibility to successful women in industry and build role models, as they are not only a source of inspiration but also of knowledge and experience.

• Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation is a member of the National Council for Equality between Women and Men at the Council of Ministers, which votes on the proposals for the selection of the winners of the Badge of Distinction for Significant Achievements in the Effective Implementation of the Gender Equality Policy made by the Commission for examination and evaluation of the submitted applications, which is appointed by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy.
• You can learn more about the activities of the National Council for Equality between Women and Men at the Council of Ministers, which is a permanent, coordinating and advisory body that assists the Council of Ministers in the development and implementation of the national gender equality policy here.
• You can find Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation’s statements in relation to the work of the Council here.

Photo credit: VMware

In a series of interviews, we introduce you to the policies and practices of companies that have been awarded the Badge of Distinction for Significant Achievements in the Effective Implementation of the Gender Equality Policy, which is awarded annually by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

We discuss the topic with Experian Bulgaria.

In 2022 Experian Bulgaria PLC was awarded with the Badge of Distinction for Significant Achievements in the Field of Equality between Women and Men. What are the internal policies that you implement and helped you achieve this honour?

The issue of equality between women and men is extremely topical today and we are glad that it has been strongly enshrined in the company’s global policy for some time. In its history of almost 20 years, Experian Bulgaria has been encouraging gender equality, but also its focus on respecting diversity among people in all its forms.   

In Experian we aim to build a strong culture of continuity and enhance a mindset of accepting other people’s differences among all employees, which is an ongoing process, aiming at all employees – from the early stages of recruitment, the following introductory and regular training development programmes of their knowledge and skills.  

First, the company abides by its internal equality principles during the whole recruitment process of selection and hiring of employees. Each job seeker, regardless of their gender, race, religion and social status, has equal rights for career development in the company. Our equality recruitment policy forms a part of each recruitment notice. Besides, the candidates receive a digital file “The job seeker book”, which describes in detail how the company encourages diversity and equal opportunities. Another mandatory component in the Experian recruitment process is to conduct interviews for each vacancy with both men and women.  

As part of their onboarding programme, each employee gets acquainted with the Experian Global Code of Conduct, which contains the core principles of the company for building a culture of inclusion, mutual respect and equal opportunities for development. In addition, during their first day at work, each employee is acquainted with the Rules of internal procedures, which underline the culture of inclusion and equality. 

When we say that our policies apply to everyone, we would like to emphasize that our human rights specialists and recruitment managers also undergo a series of internal diversity and equality trainings. In such a way we encourage their thinking towards inclusion of people with all forms of differences and reducing all potential preconditions for unjust and prejudiced recruitment processes of candidates. 

The company’s role is not just to create conditions for gender equality, but also to give opportunities to women for additional professional development. During our tailored training development programmes for women, the participants share their career goals and with the support of mentors and business partners a detailed plan is drafted based on these goals. 

For us, at Experian, it is extremely important to be close to our employees at each stage of their life. That is why we have a special internal programme, focused on the maternity period for the women who work at the organization. Each mother or father of a newborn receives a special gift – a gift package with presents for their child. What is more valuable for us is that we keep in touch with the mother during the maternity period and send her all the novelties surrounding the company. The ultimate goal is that she is acquainted with all that is happening in the company when the time comes for her to return to her job after maternity leave, to get back to her work-related tasks without any challenges and to have opportunities for development. Following her return after maternity leave, the company provides for additional opportunities for reduced or flexible working time to facilitate smooth transition and good balance between personal and professional life. 

Last but not least, in the last couple of years we have been actively developing our so-called internal interest committees. These are volunteer groups from the various business units for the company, which organize different initiatives and events for the Experian Bulgaria team with the aim to contribute to the work-life balance, to create community value campaigns and help all colleagues to exchange experience and knowledge in various fields.  These committees receive the company’s leadership support and one of those volunteer groups is our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee or the committee that promotes our internal culture of diversity, acceptance of differences and equality.  

All these efforts have a real impact also on the internal satisfaction. During the annual employees’ satisfaction survey we ask a series of questions related to the colleagues’ perception about the culture of inclusion and social diversity. We are happy that the last year feedback reconfirms the strong feeling of equality among over 96% of all employees. 

All these policies are local for Experian Bulgaria, while in addition Experian on international level implements a global strategy for the development of this culture of inclusion and equality. One of the last innovations within the company is creating a global internal platform, providing an opportunity for connecting all specialist and volunteer organisations in Experian. 

How does the application of these policies positively affect your company?

The company creates and develops a culture and principles of equality applicable for all activities’ areas and among their employees in Bulgaria, as well as world-wide. We are happy that the company leaves a lasting contribution for changing attitudes in society and eliminating all prejudice as well as for the development of its business. Our observations together with globally recognised studies demonstrate that the companies, which are open to diversity and promote a culture of inclusion are also:  

• More capable of surpassing their financial goals;
• More capable of reaching high-level efficiency at the workplace; 
• More innovative and adaptable; 
• More capable of reaching better business results. 

Transparent pay and career development procedures are an important factor in promoting equality in the workplace. A Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms has recently been adopted and is to be transposed into the national legislation. What are your company’s internal policies on transparency and equal pay for equal work?

Contrary to other countries in Europe and in the world, in Experian Bulgaria there is no pay difference between men and women. This is a very important precondition for the promotion of career and personal growth among women, helping their standard of living and bringing a sense of worth in them. No matter whether a woman applies for the position at the specialist level, expert or a manager, each woman receives the same payment for the respective position as each male candidate. 

Your company works in the field of development and sales of software products. Although Bulgaria is in the leading positions in the European Union of women employed in the information and communication technologies, men still occupy prevalent positions. What is the ratio of women to men in your company and are there women in leadership positions?

Nearly 1,000 professionals in IT, finance, accounting, data analytics, and others find their careers with us. The truth is that the share of women in Experian Bulgaria has a slight advantage, with a ratio of 52% to 48% as of May 2023. 

Our management team consists of 8 people with three of them being women and they occupy key positions within the company. A prevalent part of the mid-management positions in the company are also occupied by women. 

Do you think there is a need for legislative changes and more specific policies at a national level to encourage employers to implement internal gender equality measures?

During the last couple of years the Bulgarian state has advanced in its initiatives to promote gender equality, but this is a long process which requires time, sustainable practices and continuity in the political sphere. It is important to elaborate an encouraging framework targeted at the employers, but it is also essential to create favourable conditions for its effective implementation. We think that national policies should focus on the following areas: 

• Improving the terms and conditions for child care in the state-funded facilities from the earliest possible age;  
• Promoting earlier return to work through extending and providing better flexibility within the scope for financial parenting support;  
• Equality among men and women in ensuring state child care support; 
• Organizing information campaigns and initiatives aimed at raising awareness and recognising and building upon good practices by employers. 

We are happy that the information technologies sector, where we also belong, is proud with gender balance and well-defined programmes and policies aimed at promoting diversity. 

• Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation is a member of the National Council for Equality between Women and Men at the Council of Ministers, which votes on the proposals for the selection of the winners of the Badge of Distinction for Significant Achievements in the Effective Implementation of the Gender Equality Policy made by the Commission for examination and evaluation of the submitted applications, which is appointed by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy.
• You can learn more about the activities of the National Council for Equality between Women and Men at the Council of Ministers, which is a permanent, coordinating and advisory body that assists the Council of Ministers in the development and implementation of the national gender equality policy here.
• You can find Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation’s statements in relation to the work of the Council here.

Photo credit: Experian Bulgaria

In a series of interviews, we introduce you to the policies and practices of companies that have been awarded the Badge of Distinction for Significant Achievements in the Effective Implementation of the Gender Equality Policy, which is awarded annually by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

We discuss the topic with Veselina Staykova from Mondelez Bulgaria

In 2020 Mondelēz Bulgaria was awarded with the Badge of Distinction for Significant Achievements in the Effective Implementation of the Gender Equality Policy. What are the internal policies that you implement and helped you achieve this honour?

At first glance, every organisation has its own policy, understanding and attitude towards the topic of equality. When one looks deeper, one can see that these policies are always guided by the universal principle of equality, namely: to treat others how you want to be treated. At Mondelēz, we strongly believe that everyone deserves an equal chance to succeed based on their contribution, talent and dedication. We value diversity in the workplace, and as a business we can only “profit” from diversity in our teams as it leads to difference in ideas, suggestions for improvement and a climate of sharing. Diversity requires us to be open and welcoming to people regardless of race, coluor, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national belonging, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other legally protected personal characteristic or status. Through a shared commitment to an open and inclusive culture across the company, we continue to work toward a workplace that will not only attract the best talent, but will also lead to the best results. That’s why we believe in a workplace where differences are accepted and valued, and everyone can be authentic, express themselves freely and without any worries.

Five years ago, the company renewed its commitment to working toward gender equality, diversity and inclusion employing three key priorities: more women leaders; an inclusive workplace free of bias; and creating an active and diverse community. Already in 2019 we implemented programmes and practices to embrace the three goals set out in the Mondelēz philosophy expressing this notion of equality.

Besides our various internal policies and practices, we can share that beyond the gender equality percentages in the company we have emphasised on the topic of gender equality even more strongly in all our internal discussions. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is what leads invariably our talent acquisition processes and is part of our corporate DNA.

A workplace without prejudice: A flexible working model is essential for building a modern culture of growth, allowing us all to do our work where and when we are at our best. A number of studies have also shown that workplace flexibility is one of the main reasons why employees choose to stay with their current employer. Therefore, Mondelēz also focuses on this opportunity as an additional impetus to support gender equality and diversity of personalities. Our ambition is to create an open and modern flexible working culture among our employees, and this is only realised through a culture of trust and a focus on performance and results.

An active and purposeful community of equality between women and men: building an equal working community inspires and engages colleagues more and more, and this reflects the diverse needs and perspectives of our colleagues, but also of our customers. By creating a partnership philosophy, we encourage people to feel welcome in their work environment. This is the goal of all our platforms, aimed at creating diverse local communities by connecting people and encouraging them to lean on each other, to speak and express themselves comfortably without hiding their differences.

The company has always promoted equality between women and men in decision-making processes, and has made efforts through internal procedures, committees and regulations to combat gender-based violence, as well as to protect and support anyone in a disadvantaged position.

How does the application of these policies positively affect your company?

At Mondelēz, we believe that higher employee engagement, gender equality, and inclusivity lead to more creativity, innovation, and enhance the company’s reputation and brand. With the experience we have, we are convinced that the next generation of employees (86% women and 74% men) are interested in and choose those companies that implement policies, standards and initiatives that support gender equality. We believe that Mondelēz meets the requirements and philosophy of the young generation in this direction and is among the most desirable companies to work for in Bulgaria.  This motivates us to be even more flexible, because we see the positive performance of our employees precisely when they have the opportunity to have a balanced life.

Transparent pay and career development procedures are an important factor in promoting equality in the workplace. A Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms has recently been adopted and is to be transposed into the national legislation. What are your company’s internal policies on transparency and equal pay for equal work?

In determining the remuneration the company uses only information and parameters for the given position different from the characteristics (be them personal) of an employee. This means that what remuneration an employee will receive is not linked in any form to their gender. Transparency is ensured by internal procedures relating to the remuneration structure while another transparency guarantor is the Policy for the Publication of Internal Career Opportunities.

What is the ratio of women to men in your company and are there women in leadership positions?

The ratio of women to men at Mondelēz Bulgaria is 55% women to 45% men, with 67% women as  part of the company’s leadership team.

Do you think there is a need for legislative changes and more specific policies at a national level to encourage employers to implement internal gender equality measures?

In my view, for the most part of Bulgarian employers the philosophy of equality is part of the culture of their organisation. I don’t think that if you don’t have the internal need/understanding of the importance of diversity to your company, new legislative measures (often punitive rather than preventive) would fundamentally change the “demographics” of an organisation. So, my “recommendation” would be more along the lines of supporting employers in this behaviour through various programmes. On the other hand, we are all faced with the problem of a lack of people (employees) while a large group (such as women over the age of 55 or Roma women) remains outside the labour market. The state could be that driver and supporter in this aspect  in introducing them as active participants.

• Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation is a member of the National Council for Equality between Women and Men at the Council of Ministers, which votes on the proposals for the selection of the winners of the Badge of Distinction for Significant Achievements in the Effective Implementation of the Gender Equality Policy made by the Commission for examination and evaluation of the submitted applications, which is appointed by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy.
• You can learn more about the activities of the National Council for Equality between Women and Men at the Council of Ministers, which is a permanent, coordinating and advisory body that assists the Council of Ministers in the development and implementation of the national gender equality policy here.
• You can find Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation’s statements in relation to the work of the Council here.

Cover photo: Veselina Staykova – People Lead, Commercial Unit BG

Women were also disproportionately affected by long COVID or post COVID-19 condition, which the World Health Organization defines as “the continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation”.

The topic of long COVID among women, which is rarely discussed in the Bulgarian public space, was addressed at the event “Health: from women to women”, which Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation held at the end of March 2022. The organisation received feedback from many women who followed the discussion online that there was a need for more information and engagement with long COVID.  That was what inspired the work on a policy brief regarding the situation in Bulgaria.

Summary of the policy brief “Long COVID Among Women In Bulgaria”

In short, it can be said that the topic of long COVID and the fact that it affects mostly women does not provoke much interest in the Bulgarian public space, and a registry of people with ongoing or new symptoms after recovery from the active phase of the virus does not exist.

In order to address the lack of data on long COVID among women in Bulgaria, Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation conducted an online survey in November 2022. It got responses from 141 women from across the country, including a small percentage of women from Bulgaria who currently live abroad. Although it is not a nationally representative sample, it provides valuable information that can serve as a basis for subsequent larger scale studies.

Responses to the central survey question, “Did you (or do you still) have symptoms that continued after you recovered from COVID-19?” indicate that most respondents (79.4%) had or still have some type of ongoing symptoms, with only 19.9% stating that they had no such complaints, and a single respondent answering that she had asymptomatic COVID-19.

The persistent symptoms reported by respondents varied, but the top three were:

1) fatigue, exhaustion, tiring easily (66.9%);

2) cognitive and concentration problems (46.8%);

3) hair loss (37.9%).

Other common symptoms include memory problems, headaches, sleep problems, loss of taste and smell, muscle aches, coughing and difficulty breathing, as well as hormonal imbalance and changes in the menstruation cycle.

The gathered information shows that neither patients nor all professionals are well-informed about the post COVID-19 condition and no adequate comprehensive solutions taking into account gender differences are offered. In order to address this issue, Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation prepared a list of recommendations presented at the end of the policy brief.

Recommendations:

• Conduct nationally representative research to assess the prevalence of post COVID-19 syndrome in the country, as well as the gender specificities of the condition.
• Actively involve patients in the development of measures to address the impact of long COVID.
• Design a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to address long COVID taking into account its medical, psychological and social aspects, as well as the fact that women are more often affected by ongoing symptoms.
• Create a national programme funded by the Ministry of Health rather than the NHIF and available to all those in need regardless of their health insurance status and whether or not they have been hospitalised in the active phase of the disease.
• Develop appropriate to the national context guidelines for health professionals, including GPs. 
• Prepare information materials on post COVID-19 syndrome aimed at the general public, to be made available both online on the COVID-19 Information Portal and in the form of leaflets to be distributed in the offices of the Regional Health Inspectorates, the Regional Health Insurance Funds, among GPs and health facilities.

More information can be found in the policy brief “Long COVID Among Women in Bulgaria” available in Bulgarian here.

Answers to these questions were presented on 24 January during an online event on the topic “Institutionalising Gender Mainstreaming in Parliament: Participatory Gender Audits and Gender Action Plans”.

The web dialogue was organised by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The two main objectives were the following:

• To launch the new Participatory Gender Audits of Parliaments: A Step-by-Step Guidance Document available in English and Russian.
• To create space for sharing experiences on the implementation of gender audits and gender action plans as instruments for institutionalising gender mainstreaming.

The event brought together over a hundred participants – parliamentarians, diplomats, representatives of academia and civil society orgsanisations, among whom was also Margarita Spasova, Advocacy Officer at Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation.

OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt and ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci welcomed the participants and emphasised the importance of collective action in order to achieve gender equality in the OSCE region. Mr. Mecacci pointed out that the increase in women’s representation never happens accidentally, but it is rather the result of serious political mobilisation. He shared that the average level of representation of women in the parliaments of the OSCE region is 31% and the achievement of the long-term goal of gender parity (50/50) is still far away, while there is also need to create conditions for meaningful participation and real possibility to influence decision-making processes.

Saša Gavrić from OSCE ODIHR presented two gender mainstreaming tools with which the organisation supports national parliaments from the region, namely gender audits and gender action plans, as well as the new Participatory Gender Audits of Parliaments: A Step-by-Step Guidance Document. It compliments the publication Realizing Gender Equality in Parliament: A Guide for Parliaments in the OSCE Region published in 2021 and offers a framework how to implement participatory gender audits recognising the fact that each parliament is unique.

Prof. Sarah Childs from the University of Edinburgh, a leading researcher in the field of women’s political representation and a consultant with experience working with various international organisations and national parliaments, drew attention to the importance of collaboration between academia, civil society and parliaments so that the latter develop as gender sensitive institutions.

The next two speakers, Božena Jelušić, Chair of the Gender Equality Committee Parliament of Montenegro and Kenneth G. Forslund, First Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Riksdag, Chairperson of the Rikstag’s Working Group on Gender Equality, shared what actions have been undertaken by the parliaments in their respective countries in order to advance gender equality.

The event continued with a discussion around questions raised by the participants, among which were the importance of conducting gender audit not only in parliaments but also in political parties, the role of civil society organisations in the process of transformation of parliaments towards equality, and the need for implementing an intersectional approach to address not only gender inequalities, but also other factors such as ethnicity and disability.

At the end of the event, the speakers encouraged national parliaments and all stakeholders to act systematically step by step, apply a multi-party approach, seek cooperation and expertise from civil society organisations and academia, and work to strategically develop processes that can lead to real institutional change regardless of the existing state of gender equality from which they start in their context.

Advocacy is also an important part of the work of Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation, through which we aspire to achieve gender equality and women’s full participation in all spheres of life.

This is why the participation of Margarita Spasova from our team in the second edition of the RARE programme (Recharging Advocacy for Rights in Europe) is a wonderful opportunity to increase the capacity of the foundation and develop a network of active civil society organisations in the European Union. The programme is a joint initiative of the Hertie School, Berlin, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Poland and Oxfam Novib. Its aim is to bring together representatives of civil society organisations from different countries to enhance their skills and build a strong alliance to advocate for human rights and civic space at a European level. The programme lasts for 2 years and includes 10 thematic meetings on topics such as communicating human rights, policy writing, non-profit leadership, etc.

The new edition of the RARE programme kicked off in October in Crete, where 26 participants from civil society organisations from across the European Union gathered to share about their advocacy work and lay the foundations for working together to defend fundamental rights and rule of law in the EU. The next thematic meeting of the advocacy network will take place at the end of November in Tallinn and will give participants from the first edition of the programme and the new group the opportunity to exchange experiences and develop their public speaking skills.

We are confident that increasing Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation’s advocacy capacity will enable us to work even more effectively in support of gender equality and women’s rights at both national and European level.

The problem with representation in the Bulgarian parliament is persistent, and the low participation of women in the 48th National Assembly was expected given the composition of the electoral lists. “Ekaterina Karavelova” Foundation works to address this problem and with the support of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Bulgaria organised the round table “Advancing gender equality in Bulgaria: the role of the parliament and the political parties”. The event gathered representatives of 7 of the political parties represented in the 47 National Assembly – BSP, Yes, Bulgaria, DPS, DSB, The Green Movement, There is such people and We continue the change. Internal party policies on gender equality and women’s political participation were discussed.

The challenges that the roundtable participants identified were related to gender-based stereotypes, the challenges in combining both family and work related responsibilities, the lack of funding for the women’s wings of the parties and the lack of trainings for capacity building, structural barriers which place women in a disadvantage position in terms of financial independence and opportunities for development, as well as the tendency to ignore women’s issues.

Political parties represented in the 47 National Assembly were invited to participated in the round table, which took place on the 20th of September in the city of Plovdiv.

The round table, which aim was to identify political parties needs in their work to advance internal party policy on gender equality was opened by Ms Marina Kisyova de Geus, executive director of Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation and Ms Kalina Drenska from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Bulgaria. They presented the alarming trends which show the decline of women’s participation the last 3 parliaments in Bulgaria and expressed the commitment of both organisations to work towards finding solutions.

Special guest of the round table was Corien Jonker, former member of parliament from The Netherlands and international expert on women’s political empowerment and leadership. In April 2021 she also served as the Head of Mission of the Limited Election Observation Mission deployed to Bulgaria by ODIHR OSCE.

Her keynote address was followed by presentations on internal party policies on gender equality by Ms Aleksandra Berdankova (BSP), Ms Vesselina Aleksandrova (Yes, Bulgaria), Mr Krassimir Asenov phd (DPS), Ms Kristina Petkova (DSB), Ms Dobromira Kostova (Green Movement), Ms Snezhanka Trayanska (There is such people) and Ms Ventsislava Lubenova (Volt. We continue the change).

In the second part of the round table, Margarita Spasova, advocacy officer at “Ekaterina Karavelova” Foundation facilitated an interactive session in which the participants had the opportunity to share what they think are the challenges and barriers facing women involved in politics. As a result of the discussion, they can be summarized in 3 categories:

• personal factors (women more often have lower self-esteem and as a result doubt whether they have all the knowledge and skills)
• environmental factors (gender-based stereotypes, difficulties in combining family commitments and work, economic inequalities and unequal access to financial resources)
• internal party factors (the lack of funding for the women’s wings in political parties and the lack of capacity-building training, the more frequent placement of women in non-elective positions on candidate lists during elections)

A snapshot of the 48th National Assembly

According to the data announced by the Central Election Commission on October 7, women in the 48th National Assembly will be 58 or 24% of its composition.

Out of a total of 31 multi-member constituencies, 7 will not send a single female representative – Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Razgrad, Silistra, Smolyan, Sofia region and Yambol. At the same time, all 6 mandates from the 8th MIR Dobrich went to women from 6 different parties, and each of them was the leader of the respective electoral list in the city.

With the best ratio of the number of women and men in the new parliament is the smallest group, that of Bulgarian Rise, where 4 out of a total of 12 people’s representatives are women. With the most unbalanced ratio of women and men are the parliamentary groups of We continue the change and Vazrazhdane, and both parties have only 19% women of their total number of MPs.

Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation will publish a detailed report from the round table, accompanied by good international practices for promoting gender equality in politics.

Photographer: Lina Krivoshieva