2004-2006:
Capacity building of employers, NGOs and trade unions for
implementation of the Law on Protection Against Discrimination
Capacity building of employers, NGOs and trade unions for implementation of the Law on Protection Against Discrimination
WAD. The project, which will continue for 15 months, starts in December 2004 and is funded by PHARE. It will be implemented in
North-western Bulgaria, in the cities of Vratza, Vidin, Montana and Lom.
The project objective is through information and advocacy actions in the selected region to facilitate the launching of the practical enforcement of the recently adopted Law on Protection Against Discrimination with regards to gender and multiple discrimination.
Among the target groups and beneficiaries are: employers, managers, and employees of state, private, foreign and joint venture companies; NGO's from the region- women's and human rights' organizations with clear social mandate; union activists and lawyers. Indirect beneficiaries are: governmental and administrative officials in the local jobs' bureaus; the local authorities and municipal firms; key figures in state and local political power structures; as well as the media.
The main partner is Business center Vratza.
During the project four more local NGO's will be selected as partners. After undergoing training they will establish information units in their respective cities. These units will be collecting and documenting cases of discrimination and will be disseminating information about the Law. They will also host the free legal consultations for the citizens.
The project activities include information campaign for the general public, informative seminars for employers and managers, training seminars for representatives of local NGOs and trade unions and specialized training for lawyers. Analyses, brochures and information materials will be published as well as the data collected during the implementation of the project. An educational movie and an informative clip will be developed and broadcast through the media and an Internet portal "Anti-discrimination" will be launched. The portal will be updated with the collected information on discrimination and will be offering links to experts and organizations working on the issue. It will service the citizens, media, lawyers and interested state structures.
The implementation of the project will entail establishment of specific skills and increased individual and organizational capacity in NGO's, union activists and lawyers from the region with regards to advocacy, field work, documenting and analyzing information, partnership and dialogue among human rights' organizations, employers organizations and decision-makers. The project will assist the business circles, lawyers, NGO's and media not only in getting information about the Law but also in abiding by it and taking measures for non discrimination. That will be a practical contribution for the improvement of existing codes of conduct and the collective bargaining agreements. The collected case studies and all project-related information and activities will be submitted for future reference to the still non existent but stipulated by the Law Parliamentary Commission for Protection Against Discrimination.
Donor:PHARE
