2001-2003 г
2001 - 2002 Project: Regional Research "Women, Work, Globalization"

During the period 2001-2002 WAD coordinated a regional research project in Bulgaria, Kazakhstan and Hungary with the objective to improve women's access to the market and to current and future employment opportunities in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS. The final summary of the research in the three countries will be published in July 2003.


WAD in cooperation with the Agency for Social Analyses (ASA) conducted, published and distributed a national research on economic opportunities and social situation of women and men in Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian research was published in 400 copies (booklet of 116 pages) and distributed to governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions. The research findings were presented to media, on 3 press-conferences, 10 trainings of WAD, and during 2 conferences, organized by WAD partners.

The goal was to observe the influence of the economic and social reforms, privatization and globalization processes on the quality of life, employment and life choices of citizens. The study highlights also on expectations, attitudes and new roles of women at work and in the family regarding the dynamics of the global transformations in all spheres of public life in Bulgaria.

For a first time all this processes were analyzed within the context of the different influence they have on women's and men's life and their relations in the family and in the society.

Some of the main findings:

1. The process of the massive impoverishment of the population is continuing. The main problem is not only the growing poverty but the reduced opportunities to improve the quality of life.
2. Women are more vulnerable to come across poverty just because they have lower income, face more difficulties to find a job and have more health problems than men. Survey registered a strong prevail of women over men in the sphere of the "unpaid household work".
3. Without significant measures and strategies for overcoming poverty there is a real risk of formation of "second poor generation", with will turn the "cultural model of poverty" from national issue into a national characteristic.

The last chapter of the research is giving concrete recommendations to the government and particular ministries. In general, the development and implementation of gender mainstreaming as a strategic approach in all spheres and levels of decision-making should be a top priority of the current political agenda in the country.

Donor: UNIFEM

Full variant of the research can be viewed here (1 219kB) 

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