DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SERIOUS PROBLEM IN BULGARIA, WOMEN'S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE TOLD
Press Release
WOM/1017
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SERIOUS PROBLEM IN BULGARIA, WOMEN'S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE TOLD
19980128 Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Introduces Report; Committee Experts Note 'Hidden Tolerance' for Violence against WomenDomestic violence against women was a serious problem in Bulgaria, yet, due to the policy of concealment by the former regime, Bulgarian society was not aware that it was a grave violation of human rights, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Antoinette Primatarova, told the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women this morning.
Introducing her country's second and third periodic reports to the 23-member expert Committee, Ms. Primatarova said that Bulgaria attached great importance to the effective implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Unfortunately, while women's rights were an integral part of human rights in Bulgaria, the society had become increasingly violent, she said.
Bulgaria's report, covering the period from 1985 to 1993, noted the alarming tendency towards the rape of minor children and elderly women in Bulgaria. The problems of prostitution and trafficking in women had also become very serious in recent years, controlled for the most part by organized crime.
Experts on the Committee, which monitors compliance with the Convention, noted with alarm that "violence seemed to be an overwhelming fact of life in the new Bulgaria". There seemed to be a "hidden tolerance" for violence against women in Bulgaria, which should be countered by an immediate and emergency response from the Government.
Responding to information that incidents of battering, rape, kidnapping, hooliganism and sexual harassment were occurring with increased frequency, experts warned that a culture of violence negated the very notion of women's empowerment. The Government should develop a comprehensive and systematic national programme to address the situation, including appropriate legislation, counselling and preventive education for both sexes, experts urged.
The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. to continue its consideration of Bulgaria's report. The Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Abdelfattah Amor, is also scheduled to address the Committee.
Committee Work Programme
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women met this morning to consider Bulgaria's compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It had before it Bulgaria's second and third periodic report (document CEDAW/C/BGR/2-3) covering the period from 1985 to 1993. Bulgaria submitted its initial report in 1985 (CEDAW/C/5/Add.15). Before detailing Bulgaria's implementation of the Convention, the report presents an overview of the demography, economy and political situation in the country and then generally reviews the situation of women prior to the reforms (1985-1989).
Since the submission of the initial report, radical changes have taken place in Bulgaria, the pace and depth of which are making it very difficult to provide up-to-date information on issues relating to the provisions of the Convention, the report states. However, the report aims to fulfil its purpose of updating relevant information on legislation and practice.
According to the report, almost all demographic trends in Bulgaria are negative. The population has decreased considerably, as has the birth rate over the last 10 to 15 years. Another characteristic of the situation is the low age of mothers at first birth and the low mean age of mothers at birth in general, reflecting a tendency towards early marriages in Bulgaria, unlike other European countries. At the same time, the percentage of births out of wedlock has increased, as has the infant mortality rate.
The country also faces a severe economic and financial situation, which plays a part, to a varying degree, in all aspects covered by the report. After the establishment of the new democratic political order, Bulgaria initiated radical economic reforms and introduced market mechanisms into its economy, the report states. The structural reforms, however, proved to be much more difficult and complicated than initially expected. The loss of the former Soviet markets, ageing technology and the new system of taxes posed severe problems, which led to a continuing decrease of production, a high level of unemployment and a high level of inflation. The big foreign debts of the country -- more than $10 billion -- also pose a heavy burden on the realization of the reforms.
Consequently, the standard of living has dropped significantly, the report continues. The price of the economic reform has been very high, especially for women. The priority of Government policy since 1989 has been the structural reform of the economy and the alleviation of its negative effects. Pensioners and the handicapped have been the most vulnerable groups during the transition. There is no special policy with respect to women, and only a few measures have been undertaken for alleviating the situation of women.
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Prior to the reforms, the equality of women with men was formally proclaimed in the Bulgarian Constitutions of 1947 and 1971 and was guaranteed in other legislation, the report states. That commitment was also expressed in social welfare measures aimed at assisting women to combine their professional engagements with their family responsibilities. Today, it is widely recognized that the main reason for those measures was to increase the participation of women in labour, because the economy required it.
The main problem for women was that they were legislatively defined as workers and mothers, the report continues. That definition structurally enshrined a dual and even triple role for women, resulting in a considerable pressure for them to play a part in a social or political organization on top of their paid labour and unpaid domestic work. As a result, women in Bulgaria suffered severe stress and overwork, despite their great potential and traditional commitment to their families. Furthermore, the legislative provisions and social measures protecting maternity contributed to the enshrinement of the unequal division of domestic and family responsibilities, to the detriment of women.
While there was equal pay for equal work prior to 1985, women predominated in some branches of the economy, such as in education and health care, the report states. Over time, it became accepted that professions such as teaching, medicine and dentistry would be dominated by them. That situation, namely the "feminization of professions", had a number of negative effects, including a sharp reduction in the prestige of those professions and an impact on the respective salaries. Although a comparatively equal representation of women and men was found at the lower levels, few women were found at the higher levels of the executive hierarchy.
After November 1989, a great number of laws containing restrictive provisions with respect to the rights of the citizen were repealed or amended and steps were taken to adopt the new democratic legislation, the report states. There is not yet a special law or charter on human rights, but one is expected to be adopted at the end of the first stage of Bulgaria's reform, aimed at updating Bulgarian legislation and bringing it in line with international standards.
Meanwhile, the report notes that Bulgaria is a party to most international instruments on human rights and the rights of women are considered an integral part of the whole complex on human rights. Although there are no special laws on human rights and on equality, the Constitution provides that the international instruments to which Bulgaria is a party shall be considered part of domestic legislation. However, there is no special institution to monitor the observance of women's rights and no temporary special measures have been passed.
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In accordance with the labour code, women have equal rights with men with respect to employment and they constitute nearly half of the people employed, the report goes on to say. However, the high unemployment rate overall is still one of the most difficult problems in Bulgaria. Owing to the fall in production and the relatively small part played by the private sector, unemployment is still rising. Approximately half of the registered number of unemployed are women and the highest unemployment rates are in industry and agriculture.
The traditional division of labour between the sexes is common in Bulgaria, the report states. Women still perform most of the household tasks, which means that, considering the high employment rate of women, they still have a double workload, with the shift at work followed by another at home. Certain new trends are taking shape. Those include a decrease in family size, a decreasing birth rate, a decreasing marriage rate and an increasing percentage of births out of wedlock. Still, women's "domestic overburden" remains a difficult problem, and includes the traditional task of caring for elderly parents. According to the legislation, women are entitled to a retirement pension at the age of 55, and men at the age of 60.
Violence in the family is one of the most difficult factors to monitor and one for which few convictions result, the report continues. Concerning rape, the new draft of the penal code provides for raising the upper limit of punishment by imprisonment to 20 years, because as increasing incidence in cases of rape. The most frequent victims of rape are women between 18 and 30 years of age. There is "an alarming tendency" towards the raping of minor children and of old women.
The problem of exploitation of prostitution and trafficking in women has become very serious in recent years, the report states. Although no precise data is available, it seems that the number of prostitutes has greatly increased. The main reason for that trend is the difficult economic situation of the country and the high growth of unemployment. In recent years, trafficking in prostitutes has occurred through some organizations connected to foreign groups. It is part of organized crime in Bulgaria, and includes more than 30 firms, with half of them in joint ventures with foreign partners. Seven such firms are under investigation.
Health care in Bulgaria is free of charge, the report states. Gradually, private practice by doctors is developing. In the transition period, the free medical care system is facing many difficulties, as a result of the country's severe economic and financial crisis. Present health law strictly abides by the principle of non-discrimination, and contains special provisions for preserving the health of pregnant women, mothers and children. Up to 1988, infant mortality decreased considerably, but since then, the infant mortality rate has increased. Since the early 1980s, there has been a
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trend towards premature births, which have a decisive role in infant mortality.
In recent years, the number of abortions in Bulgaria has been considerably higher than the number of births, the report continues. In addition, although as a whole there is a tendency towards decreasing maternal mortality, it remains high in comparison with western European countries. In Bulgaria, health education has not been effective enough in relation to family planning or child-rearing. For example, the mass media is insufficiently used and, again, the basic reason for the situation is the severe economic and financial situation.
The report states that as a result of agrarian reform, which includes the reversion of land to its owner or to their heirs and liquidation of cooperative and State farms, employment in the rural economy has decreased considerably and women have been especially affected. In addition, work opportunities in the rural economy are very restricted. In villages, some of the women work in newly formed cooperative groups that have received their land for provisional use, others have taken land on lease and a small number have managed to create their own farms.
Furthermore, the report notes that rural women carry much heavier burdens than men and have approximately 25 per cent less free time than men. In rural regions, women spend approximately 5.5 times more time on housework than men. A large part of their time is spent on rearing children, while men use their leisure time for visiting sport events and pubs. Rural women's problems are rather complex and it is difficult to expect them to be solved in the forthcoming years, bearing in mind the overall state of the country's economy.
The report concludes that the de jure equality of women with men does not automatically lead to their de facto equality in all spheres of political, economic and public life, despite the official policy aimed at the strict implementation of the principle of equality of the sexes. Although women are employed in almost all spheres of the political and economic life of the country, the great potential of women, for example their high level of education and professional qualification, is not efficiently used. Furthermore, it is the view of some women's non-governmental organizations that there is a marked tendency towards the "feminization of poverty" in Bulgaria.
Introduction of Report
ANTOINETTE PRIMATAROVA, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, said that Bulgaria had achieved considerable progress in building its democratic institutions. They had proved to be stable, despite that fact that since 1990 there had been seven governments. The new Government, which took
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office following the elections in April 1997, was committed to implementing comprehensive structural, economic, social, educational, health-care and administrative reforms, and to speed up the process of privatization.
The new Government has opted for an intensive privatization scheme with a high degree of restructuring, fast introduction of corporate management and larger flow of finances for technological renovation, she said. The banking system had been stabilized. In addition, due to a restrictive fiscal policy and the introduction of reforms in public administration and in the social sector, Bulgaria had restored the macroeconomic balance. However, that was only a prerequisite for ensuring the microeconomic stability required for sustainable economic growth and development.
She said that the declining rate of marriage and increasing rate of out-of-wedlock births was a European trend. In Bulgaria, it could be explained by the democratization of society and the emergence of new, more flexible forms of family partnerships. The increased rate of out-of-wedlock births was a consequence of that trend. The relatively high infant mortality rates were due to: early marriages; early and premature fertility; a high abortion rate; and insufficient knowledge about contraception.
Her Government attached great importance to the effective implementation of the Convention, as well as to other human rights instruments, she said. The Convention was a basic instrument for eliminating discrimination against women worldwide, and for promoting and protecting women's rights as human rights. In Bulgaria, women's rights were an integral part of human rights. The national legislation in that regard was based on the principle of equality and non-discrimination, which were constitutionally guaranteed.
The penal code guaranteed the equality of all citizens before the law, she continued. Furthermore, Bulgarian women did not need the approval of their husbands, fathers, or relatives in order to go before the court, except in cases where common interests were concerned, such as the common property of both spouses. The principle of equality was also enshrined in the labour codes. Since 1989, a great number of laws containing restrictive provisions with respect to the rights of citizens were repealed or amended in accordance with the international standards on human rights and fundamental freedoms. In the course of democratization, Bulgaria withdrew its reservation to article 29, paragraph 1, of the Convention, which concerns arbitrations of disputes between two or more States parties.
Although there were no special laws on human rights and gender equality, the international conventions to which Bulgaria was a party were considered part of domestic legislation, she said. Those international human rights instruments, including the Convention, were translated and widely disseminated in the country.
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Concerning the judiciary, the Constitutional Court operated outside that system, she said. There were no cases of discriminatory court decisions and no references had been made to the Convention in any court cases. As the right of equality was protected at the constitutional level, no temporary measures had been passed in that regard.
To previous questions regarding the integration of Roma children, she said that specific measures had been undertaken to enhance their educational background and to promote their competitiveness in the labour market. Yet, some 50 per cent of Roma children did not attend classes or had left school altogether. In some regions, that percentage was at 70 per cent.
In order to tackle that problem, she continued, the Ministry of Education and Science had undertaken steps to encourage their attendance in school. The emphasis in their education was on technical skills and crafts, particularly in the textile industry, metallurgy and wood processing. In addition, preparatory classes had been established throughout the country, with a view to language education. A number of textbooks in three Roma dialects had been published, and various teaching aids about the history of the Roma culture had been distributed to teachers.
Regarding initiatives undertaken towards implementing the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), an intergovernmental commission was established. In close collaboration with women's non-governmental organizations, it reviewed on the goals achieved and the issues still pending in the field of gender equality. In 1996, the Council of Ministers adopted the National Action Plan for the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, and decided to establish a permanent Intergovernmental Council for monitoring its application. The establishment of a post of ombudsman on human rights was also being considered.
The new Government was firmly committed to implementing the Beijing Platform for Action, she continued. It believed that the best way to do so was to empower women towards participating in decision-making processes on an equal footing with men. At the same time, effective ways and means to involve men in the process of eliminating obstacles to equality must be found. The present Government had significantly increased the participation of women in the decision-making process and had integrated them to certain fields that only a few years ago were considered the exclusive domain of men.
In the area of higher public administration, women accounted for 61 per cent of the staff and represented 75 per cent of the total number of heads of departments in the Council of Ministers, she said. Particularly impressive was the progress achieved in women's participation in foreign policy and diplomatic service. For the first time in Bulgarian history, the post of
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Minister for Foreign Affairs was occupied by a woman. Women were well represented in the judiciary system, as well.
Despite such progress, there was a long road ahead towards achieving de facto equality between women and men. Furthermore, the traditional division of domestic responsibilities still prevailed, to the detriment of women. Women still performed most of the household tasks, which meant that, considering their high employment rate, they still had a double workload. That vicious circle could not be stopped or changed simply by laws. Therefore, the role of men was of paramount importance in overcoming such traditional stereotypes. True equality demanded a democratic alliance of all members of society, a partnership of women and men under equal conditions, with equal rights and obligations.
She said that although the labour code contained a chapter on the special protection of women, its application, especially in the private sector of the economy, revealed cases of discrimination. In a number of instances, employers preferred to fill vacancies with men or with very young women, who were not bound to family and children. Additional difficulties in finding jobs were posed by very high professional qualifications, which elderly women usually could not meet. Many of them did not need such qualifications earlier, because of their domination of certain extensive sectors of the economy.
Concerning the protection of pregnant women in the workforce, present legislation protected pregnant women from dismissal, she said. A pregnant woman or a mother of a child up to three years of age could be dismissed only with the approval of the Labour Inspection Unit. The same applied to the wives of persons who ere serving under regular mandatory military conscription.
The restoration of law and order had been the main priority of the Government in 1997 and would continue to be in 1998, she said. Authorities had taken a strong stand against organized crime, including trafficking in women and exploitation of prostitution. Various legislative amendments criminalized in a more severe way illicit trafficking in persons. While the Government was firmly committed to do its utmost to eliminate trafficking in women and forced prostitution, those problems were global and required concerted measures at the regional and global levels. Bulgaria was ready to participate further in the international cooperation aimed at the elimination of those phenomena, which constituted violence against women and were part of organized crime.
Continuing, she said that the most typical and severe forms of violence against women were some of the common crimes, such as murder, attempted murder, severe physical injury, rape, robbery and hooliganism. In the case of sexual harassment, legal protection for women was envisaged in the penal code. There were precedents in the Supreme Court of invoking such provisions and women who
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were victims of sexual harassment could initiate criminal or civil court proceedings.
Domestic violence against women was a problem of great concern in Bulgaria, she said. However, domestic violence was very difficult to monitor, as it was usually not reported. Due to the policy of the former regime, which had tried to conceal such practices as inconsistent with the principles and moral values of the socialist family, society was not aware of the fact that domestic violence was a grave violation of human rights. In order to combat it successfully, awareness of the problem must be raised.
Gender equality was ensured with respect to education, she said. Access to education at all levels was free, without any discrimination. Roma women had the same right to education as other Bulgarian women. Paid education had also been introduced for students enroled without admission examinations. Female students represented more than 60 per cent of the total number of students at the higher educational institutions.
She said that the reform launched in the health-care system was aimed at improving the effectiveness and securing the functioning of the free health- care services under a restrictive fiscal policy. The adoption of relevant legislation on health-care insurance was forthcoming.
In the course of the agrarian reform, the privatization of land was gaining momentum, although it had not been completed, she said. In accordance with the law on restitution, a large part of the land had been returned to its previous owner or to their heirs. Current laws did not explicitly envisage granting credits or loans to the private landowners. However, any landowner or person employed in agriculture could receive credit for seed material, land improvement and technical equipment. Special preference was given to persons engaged in the cultivation of products that were a priority to the national agriculture. New landowners could apply for assistance from a specially established State agricultural fund on an equal basis with other agricultural producers.
General Comments
An expert said she had observed, with great admiration, the changes that had taken place in Bulgaria with respect to democratization and human rights. She hoped that those changes would also be reflected in women's human rights, which seemed to be the intention of the Government. Positive attitudes must now become practical realities. Experience showed that putting such beliefs into practice required acknowledgement of de facto inequality, as well as the formulation and determined implementation of laws countering discrimination.
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The protection of human rights and the advancement of economic development were demanding, particularly in times of dramatic transformation, she continued. In times of crisis and change, preventing discrimination could be more difficult. The establishment of national machinery was, therefore, of the utmost importance.
Another expert said she appreciated the great importance Bulgaria placed on human rights and hoped the current dialogue between the Committee and the State would be constructive and helpful. Recent structural changes in Bulgaria had resulted in traumatic effects, most strikingly for women. Still, she noted the great progress that had been achieved in several areas, particularly the economic sector, which affected all areas of life. She hoped such changes would continue.
She congratulated the State on withdrawing its last remaining reservation to the Convention. Yet, Bulgaria's report had not reflected the Government's strategy for implementing the Convention, nor had it indicated the Government's overall strategy for addressing women's issues. She asked whether the country's ratification had been published in an official publication.
A number of questions posed by the pre-sessional working group had not been answered, she continued. The rate of poverty was increasing, most notably among women. What was the Government doing to address the situation? she asked. Compared to the number of qualified women in Bulgaria, not enough were participating in decision making processes. She noted that the representative had indicated that the State was considering having an ombudsman to focus on human rights and gender equality. Because of traditional influences, violence against women -- particularly domestic violence -- must be addressed carefully. Women themselves must denounce the practice and must be supported by national legislation.
Next, she asked why women still referred to abortion as a means of family planning. What was being done to distribute and increase the use of contraceptives? What was being done regarding family planning policies and education? What was the country's health policy?. In light of the importance of those matters, privatization of hospitals should proceed carefully, she said.
Addressing the disturbing trends in marriages and births, another expert said that such trends reflected a deeper problem concerning the elimination of discrimination against women. In trying to improve the status of women and their quality of life, were all measures of morality being ignored? she asked. Indeed, if modernization resulted in an increase in common law marriages and out-of-wedlock births, did that not lead to a promiscuous society? That was not the goal in eliminating discrimination against women. Perhaps all countries should endeavour to improve morality in society and in the world. The focus on efficiency and technology might be at the expense of a focus on moral values.
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Another expert said that perhaps it was not immorality that drew women to have children outside the marriage, but the higher payment that a single woman received from the Government, which inclined them to remain unmarried.
The high level of education should be able to reverse the belief that men were superior to women, which often resulted in violence against women, said an expert. Public awareness campaigns should be increased, with a particular emphasis on discouraging such violence. A national debate was required on the issue of extramarital births.
Despite efforts to advance rural women, their situation was still a source of major concern, she added. Nowhere in the report was the subject of women entrepreneurs or managers discussed. Perhaps training courses could be organized and publicity campaigns undertaken for rural women.
Another expert expressed concern that, during democratization, the Government had promoted the principle of equality, but had not really looked at de facto equality or at how the process of reform would perpetuate discrimination against women. Structural sexism had to be fought, as well as segregation in the labour market. While individual discrimination was being considered in Bulgaria, structural discrimination remained. Much time had been lost in recent years in dealing with those issues and in rendering the de facto equality of women a high national priority. Certain other countries had achieved that during their restructuring. She urged the Bulgarian Government to address that very important issue.
She sought more information on the inter-ministerial commission, specifically whether it was considered a national machinery for women and whether there were any plans to enlarge it, or further support it politically and financially. Bulgaria could rely on the more than 20 years experience of other European countries as a model for setting up such structures. She urged the Government to avail itself of those experiences. Temporary special measures meant the establishment of programmes that did more for women than for men; that, in fact, temporarily undermined formal equality in order to achieve de facto equality. With a network of equal opportunity offices, the process could move ahead more quickly.
The large body of educated women was a force on which the Government could rely, she said. Yet, on the one hand, there was a body of highly educated women and, on the other hand, a claim that there was a body of women who were not properly trained. She sought clarification in that regard. Despite persistent problems, she saw "beacons of hope" in Bulgaria, if it stayed the path and implemented the Committee's suggestions.
Many experts expressed concern that some of the questions posed during the working group had not been addressed. One expert noted that Bulgarian
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women had greatly improved their participation in the governmental structure. She said she hoped such participation would be ongoing and would expand into other spheres, including the legislative branch.
Several experts expressed grave concern about the fact that large numbers of Gypsy children did not attend school. That situation, which was not new, resulted in the further marginalization of an already vulnerable group. They asked whether the Government intended to implement a programme designed to encourage Gypsy children to stay in school.
An expert said paedophilia and child pornography had invaded countries worldwide. Was the Bulgarian Government addressing the problem? she asked. She also asked to what extent the Government was dealing with drug addiction, and requested information on how drug use was affecting women and girls.
Several experts asked for more information on the problems faced by rural women, saying the Committee would benefit from learning more details about agrarian reform, including the right to land ownership and employment practices. They asked about the establishment and implementation of programmes and policies aimed to assist rural women. As a parenthetical comment, one expert noted that the beauty of Bulgaria's lush green fields was unmatched anywhere.
Another expert noted that an intergovernmental body had been established to implement the guidelines formulated at the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, and that the Foreign Ministry was the focal point for dealing with women's issues. She asked whether that structure would be maintained or if the Government intended to set up a separate body to deal with women's issues. Women, as a group, were most affected by a country's transition to a market economy. Some 80 per cent of the population was said to live below the poverty line, the majority of whom were women. Were there specific programmes designed specifically to serve those vulnerable sectors? she asked.
An expert asked for information on programmes envisaged by the Government to change prevailing cultural patterns, which relegated women to subordinate positions. She asked whether the Government had worked with the mass media and whether it conducted training sessions with young people to counter negative stereotypes.
Another expert urged that the Government establish the proposed office of an ombudsman for human rights. That office should be given sufficient funds and personnel. Also, the gender perspective must be clearly stated in the office's mandate.
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She also noted that there were no laws on gender equality, since the Constitution prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex. However, without a gender equality act, there could be different interpretations as to whether the genders should be treated equally or whether there would be discrimination in favour of women. The Bulgarian Government was planning legislation protecting the rights of the child; it should consider drafting comparable laws on gender equality.
Turning to the problem of domestic violence, she reiterated the importance of campaigns at the grassroots level to raise awareness, but added that legal foundations were of equal importance. She said it was problematic that in Bulgaria domestic assault victims must proceed through the court system without the assistance of a prosecutor, and stressed the importance of free legal aid.
While it was true that Bulgaria was in "a learning phase", it was at such a time that the country could learn to promote equal rights, an expert said. Regrettably, Bulgaria had not yet adopted the mechanism to implement the recommendations of the Beijing Conference.
Having spent most of her life under a dictatorship, another expert expressed her appreciation for the difficulties associated with adapting from a totalitarian environment to a democratic one. In a society in transition and during the establishment of a market economy, there was a great opportunity for women to become involved in business. She sought further information in that regard, specifically whether there had been some policy to support unemployed women and assist them in obtaining credit to promote their active participation in the economy.
Several experts express alarm about the level of violence in Bulgaria. One expert said that violence "seemed to be an overwhelming fact of life in the new Bulgaria". She drew attention to the increasing trends in battering, rape, kidnapping, hooliganism and sexual harassment. Those figures, as shocking as they were, probably underestimated the extent of the problem, given the usual number of unreported cases. Yet, those figures were "unacceptably high" and the Bulgarian Government should do something "drastic" to ensure that effective measures were undertaken to eliminate such violence against women.
Violence against women and an environment of violence systematically impaired women's enjoyment of human rights, she said. If women could not even go out in the streets, there was no point to all of the legal changes. A society that tolerated violence against women negated the very notion of women's empowerment, making it very difficult for them to lead normal lives. She urgently requested the Bulgarian Government to take action. What was
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missing was a comprehensive and systematic national programme to address such violence against women.
The lack of legislation in those very same areas of violence against women was in step with the trend of increasing domestic violence, she continued. There was no mention in the report of specific services that the Government was providing for the victims. Violence could only thrive where society and government ignored it. In Bulgaria, there seemed to be a "hidden tolerance" for the phenomenon. Domestic violence was no longer a private problem, but was on very public agendas -- of non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies and bodies, as well as the Committee. Only legislation would discourage it.
The figures related to prostitution were also "shocking", she said. There were some 90 houses of prostitution, all under the control of organized crime. In addition, there was a trend towards kidnapping young girls, by inducing them with promises of marriages, beauty competitions and employment contracts. Given all that knowledge, an immediate emergency response was required. Counselling and preventive education of women and men was also needed.
The drastic cuts in social spending had not only sent women into the abyss of poverty, but had structurally pushed them out of the labour force. she said. Women must be given the tools to survive and the structural problem of unemployment must be addressed, or the situation would continue to "go around in circles".
Another expert said she was concerned that the report had not been drafted in a gender balanced approach. The Spanish language version of the report said that under the former regime, women were involved in many fields, including science and medicine, and that their involvement had discredited some professions. What was the meaning of that, or was it an error in translation? she asked.
She was also concerned that the Constitution did not state that men and women were equal before the law, but instead said that all people were born free and equal before the law. Also, there was no one body to which women could turn to complain about violations. The country lacked a clear concept of affirmative action, which would include providing assistance to pregnant women. Yet, that was the kind of approach that needed to be taken.
On the matter of violence, she asked whether figures were available on the number of men who had been tried and sentenced for violent acts against women. The report had not provided information on sentencing of those found guilty, nor had it indicated whether the country had a mechanism to enable women who had been abused or raped to receive assistance in a shelter.
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