Country report, gender equality : how are EU rules transposed into national law? : Bulgaria [2025]

Important changes to the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence have been made to address the problem of domestic violence as gender-based violence as part of the policy on gender equality. Although adopted since August 2023, the main bulk of the amendments entered into force on 1 January 2024.4 A National Council on Gender Equality (NCGE) is established under the oversight of the Council of Ministers. It is a consultative body for cooperation and coordination between central and territorial bodies of the executive, and civil society organisations. The Gender Equality Law designates the Minister of Labour and Social Policy as the person who is responsible for the management, coordination of and control over the implementation of the state policy on gender equality. The Minister is the chair of the NCGE. The department of policy for persons with disabilities, equal opportunities and social assistance directorate, under the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, serves as the secretariat to the National Council on Gender Equality. There are focal point coordinators on gender equality in the different ministries. The Commission for Protection against Discrimination (Комисия за защита от дискриминация, CPD) was created in 2005 under the Protection against Discrimination Act as an independent quasi-judicial body and its mandate covers all types of direct and indirect discrimination, including discrimination based on sex, prohibited by law and by international instruments to which Bulgaria is a party.[...]In fact, there is no institution dealing exclusively, on a permanent basis, with gender equality in Bulgaria. In 2023 there have been very few substantial developments and achievements at the national level in the field of policy on gender equality. As one of the major results we can mention is the adoption of the amendments to the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence in August 2023. This is mainly the result of the initiative and pressure of the women's NGOs in Bulgaria.