Bulgarian Fund for Women supports the declaration adopted at the International conference under the theme of „Institutions, Media and Society United in Combating Violence Against Women“, where BFW’s director Nadejda Dermendjieva was among the speakers. It was organized by Women Lawyers Association on November 26-27, 2015, with regard to November 25th, declared by the UN as the International Day for Eliminating Violence Against Women.

The declaration states that violence against women presents violation of the fundamental human rights of life, safety, freedom, dignity, gender equality, physical and mental integrity and that protection from violence against women and domestic violence is an integral obligation of the state authorities, which are liable and competent to interfere in the private and family relationships with the task to investigate and disclose such acts of violence in order to ensure the effective protection of victims.

The international conference adopted several recommendations, first and foremost of which is the Republic of Bulgaria to sign and ratify the Convention of the Council of Europe on Prevention and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention. Its main objective is to create an overall framework, policies and measures for the protection and assistance to all victims of violence.

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