SOFIA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION was founded as non-profit organization with the decision 348
of the Sofia Municipal Council to work for the sustainable development of the capital.
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ON NOVEMBER 25TH, WE UNITE TO STAND AGAINST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND LAUNCH THE 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is celebrated every year on 25 November. It is an initiative of the United Nations to eliminate violence (rape, domestic violence, etc.) against women. The day was first observed in 1999.
In order to support the public debate on the issue and on the initiative of Ms. Ekaterina Yordanova, a round table was held on November 25 at the Sofia Development Association with the participation of experts, civil activists, representatives of ministries. The participants addressed a number of important issues and outlined necessary future measures to improve the work of the responsible institutions.
The event symbolically marked the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness and combating all forms of violence against girls and women. The campaign starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and concludes on Human Rights Day, December 10.
In 2023, a number of changes were adopted in Bulgaria, including a Bill to amend and supplement the Protection from Domestic Violence Act (PDVA), which provides for the creation of a central register of cases that would give a real picture of the scale of the problem and serve as a starting point for future policy-making; the establishment of a National Council to coordinate the bodies responsible for addressing violence and to develop public policies; the extension of the deadline for filing an application for immediate protection, which would allow
Violence against women and girls is a growing phenomenon that knows no geographical boundaries, age limit or ethnicity. It can take many forms, including online violence, which has been on the rise since the Kovid pandemic. A January 2024 survey by the Trend Agency shows that four in ten people in Bulgaria have acquaintances who are victims of domestic violence; 18% of Bulgarians say there are cases where domestic violence is deserved. According to 13%, slapping does not constitute domestic violence. One in ten people (11%) in Bulgaria believe that there are forms of domestic violence that can be justified. The survey recorded a high sensitivity towards domestic violence - 82% of the participants believe that it is a serious problem for Bulgarian society. Over two thirds (69%) are of the opinion that there are forms of aggression in the family that are accepted as normal in our society.
These data signal the need for even more intensive and sustained work to expose the truth about violence against women, in particular domestic violence, as a gross violation of human rights and a pattern of coercive behaviour aimed at controlling a partner's freedom through coercion, intimidation and emotional manipulation. Violence against women also occurs online, and has equally severe consequences for the physical and mental health of victims.
An extremely important component of violence against women prevention is understanding the negative role that stereotypes and prejudice have on people's attitudes and behaviour. Many of these stereotypes are based on and fuel multilayered social, cultural, and economic inequalities between men and women. Their exposure and critical reflection is part of the process of drawing attention to the problem and prevention efforts. SDA is part of the GenderEd Coalition, an international project funded by the European Commission's CREA programme, which focuses on the causes and consequences of gender-based misinformation and, in particular, against women. The project analysed the levels of misinformation and the dominant themes in each of the partner countries (Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, France), which were then also formulated as challenges in an innovative feminist hackathon. In the next few months, social media campaigns will be launched in each country, involving influencers and subject matter experts, to focus public attention and debate on different aspects of gender-based misinformation, and to encourage the active involvement of civil society organisations, volunteers, and policy makers.
The project GenderED Coalition is funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), Creative Europe Program (CREA), under the call CREA-CROSS-2023-MEDIALITERACY.
THE FIRST COURSE OF THE "CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE 50+" PROGRAMS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED
On November 22, 2024, the first training course of the "Career Opportunities for People 50+" program, which was dedicated to personal skills and competencies, was successfully completed. The course ended with an award ceremony in SofiaLab, during which participants received their course certificates by Ekaterina Yordanova, Municipal Councilor at the Sofia Municipal Council and Chairperson of the Governing Board of Sofia Development Association (SDA).
The program is organized by SDA in partnership with the Young Talents Bulgaria platform and offers solutions to improve the employment of people over the age of 50. Created within the framework of the Syncusive project, the initiative includes a series of trainings on digital and green skills, personal skills and competencies, and provides career and psychological counseling to job seekers and people who aim to change their professional path. In 2025, the program will offer training to 100 people over 50 years of age to support their professional development.
The program is free of charge and is open to people on the territory of Sofia Municipality. The next course will be focused on digital skills, which will begin with face-to-face sessions from January 24, 2025, until February 7 (a total of 30 hours). Interested participants can register on the website of Sofia Development Association. For additional questions, please contact the SDA team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Bulgarian partners in the Synclusive project are SDA and the Applied Research and Communications Fund.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101094526.
BEREADY PRESENTED IN THE 26TH STEERING GROUP MEETING OF EUSDR PA5
The 26th Steering Group Meeting of EUSDR Priority Area 5, organized on 21 November in Hungary, was an opportunity for projects funded by the Danube Region Program in 2024 to present their priorities and progress thus far. Sofia Development Association, the lead partner of the BeReady project, took part in the event and highlighted the results achieved in the first 11 months of implementation.
Focused on urban heat islands (UHI), BeReady tackles critical climate change issues in urban environment and aims to promote policy and technological solutions for adaptation. The city partners have already engaged in UHI risk assessment and vulnerability and held methodology workshops with local stakeholders to plan the process of urban climate data collection and analysis. Through local coalition pacts, BeReady encourages wide public engagement and the involvement of quadruple helix organizations in the risk assessment; over 95 external organizations have signed the local coalition pacts. The first results of the UHI assessment reports will be available in January 2025 and will serve as the basis for planning the city pilot actions: they will encompass innovative acupuncture methods, focused on blue, green, and white technological and infrastructure measures to reduce the effect of UHI.
To stay informed, please visit the website and the social media accounts of the BeReady project: website (https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/be-ready ), Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bereadyprojecteu, LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/beready-project/.
Be Ready is an INTERREG Danube Region project co-financed by the European Union.
GENDERED COALITION PROJECT RELEASES CROSS-COUNTRY POLICY BRIEF THAT HIGHLIGHTS GOOD PRACTICES TO COMBAT ONLINE GENDERED DISINFORMATION IN EUROPE
The GenderED Coalition Project, a European collaborative initiative involving partners Forma.Azione, the Daissy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University, Savoir Devenir, Sofia Development Association, and the Bureau for Integration and Social Innovations, has released a cross-country policy brief on the topic of gender disinformation and misogyny, The brief, accessible at www.genderedcoalition.net/cross-country-report, brings together good practices identified across Bulgaria, France, Greece, and Italy to combat online gendered disinformation.
The document outlines findings from a comprehensive analysis of 20 projects designed to enhance Media and Information Literacy (MIL) through gender-sensitive strategies. This initiative reflects the GenderED Coalition’s commitment to advancing gender equality and democratic values by promoting resilience to gender disinformation.
Key Findings
The analysis addresses four main dimensions within the context of gendered disinformation:
- Project Types – Most initiatives center on resources and direct engagement, with a significant focus on youth, even as educational curricula lag in gender and MIL integration.
- Competence Frameworks – Gaps in the visibility of MIL frameworks persist, with a need for greater inclusion of critical thinking, participation, and intercultural dialogue.
- Capacity-Building Instruments – EU policies play a crucial role in structuring projects; however, comprehensive frameworks and evaluation standards remain inconsistent.
- Stakeholders and Networks – Public institutions and educational entities are leading actors, while media engagement varies widely, highlighting an opportunity for strengthened partnerships.
Recommendations
The brief also proposes targeted actions to guide policy improvements and institutional support for combating gendered disinformation across the EU. Among the eight key recommendations are the development of unified competence frameworks for MIL and gender literacy, the establishing of baseline evaluation metrics to ensure effective project outcomes and also providing cross-national research funding and detailed monitoring systems to strengthen policy responses.
For more information on the GenderED Coalition Project and to read the full policy brief, visit www.genderedcoalition.net.
THE PROGRAM "CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE 50+" STARTS WITH A COURSE ON PERSONAL SKILLS
On November 8, 2024 Sofia Development Association launched the training program "Career Opportunities for People 50+" developed within the SYNCLUSIVE project.
The program is designed for people over 50 years of age who are looking for new career opportunities and ways to improve their qualifications and competitiveness in the labor market. Snezhina Gabova from SDA and Maya Tsaneva from Young Talents+, SDA’s partner in the initiative, presented the SYNCLUSIVE project and the program objectives. The first program course, Personal Skills and Motivation, aims to help participants learn how to deal with major challenges in the labor market related to personal effectiveness, sustainability, change management, leadership and teamwork.
The instructor, Julia Simeonova, introduced participants to various techniques for personal and professional development, focusing on several key topics:
- Developing a personal portfolio. The participants analyzed their strengths and weaknesses and formulated personal goals with guidelines for future development.
- Effective interviewing techniques for both online and in-person job interviews.
- Time management and work-life balance. Through tools such as the Eisenhower Matrix, the Pomodoro Method, and the Pareto Principle, participants learned to optimize their time and achieve a better work-life balance.
On-site and online training sessions are planned for the next two weeks, during which participants will engage in more activities to improve their skills in a professional environment.
The program "Career Opportunities for People 50+"continues with a digital skills course, starting on November 19. If you are over 50 years old and want to improve your skills for working in a digital environment, visit the website of Sofia Development Association and sign up for the course.
The SYNCLUSIVE project is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101094526
THE FINAL EVENT OF THE PLOUTOS PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE ON DECEMBER 6 IN BRUSSELS AND ONLINE
The PLOUTOS project is coming to an end, and the final conference will be held on December 6, 2024, in Brussels.
This project supports third-country nationals with financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills, and integration support!
At the final conference, you will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from European institutions and organizations dedicated to social and financial inclusion. Exchange best practices and see how you can contribute to building a more inclusive society.
You can join the event online after registering here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=zhvpK3luNk-VWu2io9A1yJZN7IAw1lBLkD5AoJ7P4TVUMThORkEzVUVQT01KMFRQMlRCRDRZVU4wQy4u
The conference agenda can be viewed here:
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PLOUTOS is implemented with the support of the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
