Press-release 

The Bulgarian Fund for Women (BFW) has reported an increase in the annual budgets and contracted staff of organizations focused on women’s rights and combating gender-based violence. 

This was revealed during the presentation of initial findings from a survey on the needs of organizations advocating for the rights of women, girls, and vulnerable groups in Bulgaria. Commissioned by BFW and led by Asst. Dr. Lea Vajsova, the study combines quantitative analysis from 108 representatives of organizations, spanning various sizes, focuses, and regions, with qualitative insights from 20 in-depth interviews with organizations addressing domestic violence. 

Since the first such study (available HERE) was conducted in 2021, the number of organizations with annual budgets between 100,000 and 500,000 BGN has increased from 20.53% to over 30%. This growth is largely attributed to the flexible financial mechanisms provided by BFW, a stark contrast to the lack of state support. 

However, ensuring the sustainability and quality of services for marginalized groups remains a challenge without institutional commitment. The study highlights that, amid political instability, most civil society organizations (CSOs) operate in an environment of uncertainty. 

Half of the respondents identified the lack of flexible, long-term funding as a significant barrier, closely linked to inadequate state and municipal support. Financial limitations, competition for scarce resources, and negative public attitudes toward women’s rights and gender equality hinder the effectiveness of civil society efforts. 

Dr. Lea Vajsova, head of the study, commented: “State support cannot fully address the needs of NGOs working in domestic violence, leaving organizations to compensate through international grants, European funds, and donations—often competing with one another.” 

Access to funding from public institutions remains problematic, marked by transparency issues, limited budgets, and political resistance to organizations advocating for the rights of women, LGBTIQ+, and Roma communities. Notably, the Ministry of Justice will not distribute the legally allocated funds for projects supporting victims of violence this year. 

These findings were shared at an event unveiling BFW’s largest funding program to date, directly addressing the needs identified in the research. The FORCE – Feminist Opportunities for Resilience and Community Empowerment program will allocate over 3.5 million BGN to support feminist organizations working on the frontlines against gender-based violence, including in the contexts of migration, domestic violence, and violence against LGBTIQ+ people. More details are available on the program’s website: www.bgfundforwomen.org/bg/force. 

The event featured Prof. Asst. Dr. Lea Vajsova, author of the research; Rada Elenkova, BFW Program Director, who presented the FORCE program; and Nadejdaa Dermedjieva, BFW Co-Director, who moderated the discussion. 

A video of the presentation is available [here in Bulgarian]. The full edition of the survey on the needs of organizations advocating for the rights of women, girls, and vulnerable groups in Bulgaria will be published soon.

The FORCE project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Illustration: Judit Canela for Fine Acts