In 2024, Bulgarian Fund for Women Turns 20! To celebrate this milestone, we’ve selected 20 key moments from the Fund’s rich history to share with you. Happy reading! 

“You may know how to fish as a woman. You may have the skills, the will, and the ability to catch fish. But one morning, you wake up to find the lake you’ve been fishing in has been privatized. Our idea was to empower women to become economically independent so that they could buy the lake and fish for the rest of their lives.” 

 — Stanimira Hadzhimitova 

The year was 1994, a time of challenges and change. From the outside, Stanimira Hadzhimitova appeared to have it all: an engineering degree, a successful career starting at the state enterprise “Mashinoexport” and later in private business, and a stable family life. Yet, beneath the surface, she felt restless—a need for change, both personal and professional, was growing within her. 

That same year, a chance encounter in Vienna set the stage for her transformation. While attending a conference on human rights, Stanimira met women lawyers whose discussions about structural inequalities and women’s rights opened her eyes to issues she hadn’t fully considered before. She returned to Bulgaria with more questions than answers but also with newfound enthusiasm and courage. Together with lawyers Genoveva Tisheva, Irina Muleshkova, and Vera Dakova, she founded the Gender Project Bulgaria Foundation—one of the first advocacy groups for gender equality in Bulgaria. This marked a radical and unexpected shift in her professional path. 

The challenges came quickly. In autumn of that year, Stanimira participated in another transformative event: the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. The conference, attended by over 30,000 participants from across the globe, culminated in 189 UN member states adopting the Beijing Platform for Action. This document outlined recommendations to overcome barriers to gender equality in 12 critical areas. Inspired, Stanimira returned to Bulgaria, determined to pave new paths for advancing women’s rights. The push for Bulgaria’s EU membership added momentum to her efforts. 

However, progress met with obstacles. In 2003, many international donors redirected their focus to other regions, leaving Bulgarian women’s organizations struggling to secure funding. Accessing European grants was challenging for local NGOs, leaving a funding gap for crucial causes. Years in the nonprofit sector, however, had taught Stanimira and her peers to see challenges as opportunities. 

While attending international events, Stanimira learned about women’s funds—specialized organizations raising and distributing funds for women’s causes. Inspired by their models, she decided it was time to establish such a fund in Bulgaria. With support from Mama Cash and the Global Fund for Women, the Bulgarian Fund for Women (BFW) was born. Officially registered on September 13, 2004, the Fund held its public launch on October 19, 2004. 

It’s worth noting that BFW’s creation was part of a larger international movement. During the same period, women’s funds emerged across Europe and beyond—in countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Serbia, and Georgia—thanks to the backing of Mama Cash, the Global Fund for Women, and the international network of women’s funds, Prospera. Like the BFW, many of these organizations continue their fight for women’s rights to this day. 

Over the next few months, we’ll share the struggles, achievements, and milestones that have defined the Bulgarian Fund for Women’s journey over the past 20 years. Stay tuned!