Taking action when laws are not yet in place: A case study from Bulgaria

Ahead of the Global Business Summit: Taking Action on Domestic Abuse on November 3, we're excited to share guest blogs from some of our speakers.

This piece is written by Preslava Fentham-Fletcher, Co-Founder of The Wake Up Foundation.

Bulgaria continues to resist broader frameworks for addressing gender-based violence. Reforms are repeatedly obstructed by political debates around “gender ideology” and “traditional values,” rooted in the controversy surrounding Bulgaria’s rejection of the ratification of the Istanbul Convention in 2018. Since then, non-governmental organisations and activists, directly informed by survivors’ needs and experiences, have worked tirelessly to strengthen existing national laws and advocate for their harmonisation with European legislation.

The present situation

Bulgaria’s legal framework still lacks a comprehensive and consistent approach to violence against women aligned with European legislation. The state does not recognise or addresse adequately femicide, coercive control and digital abuse.

Most importantly, Bulgaria remains unable to measure the full scale of gender-based violence. Without comprehensive national statistics or a functioning domestic abuse register, we continue to rely on media reports to document killings of women and abuse of children. Media-based estimates suggest that around 20 women are killed by men in Bulgaria each year, in a country with approximately 6.6 million people. By comparison, around 48 women are killed by men annually in Spain, which has approximately 47 million people. These figures suggest a rate roughly three times higher in Bulgaria (although indicatively because the figures are not drawn from a consistent system of recording and classification).

State funding also does not reflect the urgency of domestic abuse. The entire budget for prevention, protection and programmes for perpetrators remains limited to €220,000 per year, often not distributed due to an opaque and inefficient process of tendering.

The Wake Up Foundation

The Wake Up Foundation was founded in 2022 by longstanding activists and experts in media, advertising and social change.

Our mission is to work for a society where domestic abuse is not tolerated and women’s rights are guaranteed.

As a grassroots organisation, we aim to change the current situation, influence policy and legislation through strategic advocacy, and raise awareness that domestic abuse and gender-based violence are public issues. We manage Bulgaria’s largest active online community for survivors: the Facebook group “You Are Not Alone,” with more than 11,000 members. Their voices and needs inform all our activities. With community at the heart of our organisation, our working model is ask, listen, change.

We lead the proactive coalition “Together Against Violence,” uniting more than 35 NGOs. Recognised as a powerful collective voice for advocacy, the coalition holds the state accountable and campaigns for better prevention and protection from domestic abuse. Our first coalition-led advocacy campaign in 2023 united the charity sector and helped secure progressive changes to the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence, including extending protection to people in qualifying intimate relationships. Our efforts were recognised with the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee’s “Human of the Year 2023” prize and TimeHeroes’ “Never Give Up” award.

Over the past year we led at least 11 advocacy campaigns, working across institutions and with politicians. These ranged from opposing the notorious “LGBT propaganda” law in Bulgarian schools to demanding that amendments to the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence be translated from paper into practice, calling for a national register of domestic abuse cases and opposing changes in the Family Law which threaten the safety of children and survivors.

We are currently campaigning against those recent changes to the Family Law and their application in cases where shared parental responsibility may be imposed without adequate consideration of domestic abuse evidence and risk. 

In October 2026 we sent appeals to all presidential candidates, asking them to commit to protecting women and children from abuse as part of their presidential manifesto. 

Research and awareness

We also conduct research. Hear My Voice is a pioneering study documenting survivors’ experiences of interacting with state institutions. It revealed a bleak picture of failures in institutional protection and provided empirical evidence to support demands for change.

Our research into How Bulgarian Media Report Domestic Violence and Violence Against Children and conference featuring leading international expert in ethical journalism and media communication is another pioneering initiative. It aims to encourage ethical reporting and help the media become a source of useful information, support and signposting.

We believe that everyone can take a stand against domestic abuse. Last year, we delivered two awareness campaigns. Red Flags, developed with online fashion retailer Fashion Days, reached approximately one-third of the population with information about the warning signs of abuse. On the Front Line educated relatives and friends about how to support someone experiencing domestic abuse. The campaign was recognised by the Ministry of Justice and expanded nationally.

The workplace as a source of support

Employers can do much to support someone affected by domestic abuse. Gender-based violence carries substantial costs for society and employers: the European Institute for Gender Equality estimated its annual cost across the European Union at €366 billion in its 2021 study. More importantly, by recognising abuse and providing appropriate support, employers can help survivors and reduce the economic barriers that keep them trapped in abusive relationships. 

The workplace is recognised as an important setting for prevention and support in international standards and European legislation relevant to Bulgaria. Our aim is to ensure that these commitments translate into action, and we are pursuing several avenues to accelerate progress.

We adapted Jane Pillinger’s Safer Workplaces toolkit for the needs of Bulgarian companies and HR departments. It provides a roadmap for developing and implementing a domestic abuse policy, useful resources and guidance on offering practical and emotional support to survivors. The toolkit is available and ready to use, enabling employers to act while gaps in legislation remain.

We are calling for Bulgaria to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Convention No. 190 (C190) and implement its accompanying Recommendation No. 206, particularly its provisions on recognising and addressing the effects of domestic violence in the world of work. Despite repeated campaigns, the ratification remains outstanding.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development identifies the prevention of gender-based violence and workplace safeguarding as important elements of inclusive workforce practices. In June 2026, we attended its Annual Meeting in Riga, highlighting the opportunity for the Bank to use its influence and financing to encourage stronger protections in Bulgaria.

We proposed that the EBRD use its funding criteria and engagement with Bulgarian projects to encourage:

• Ratification of ILO Convention No. 190 and implementation of Recommendation No. 206
• Support for the transposition of EU Directive 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence by the deadline of 14 June 2027
• Introduction of workplace policies addressing domestic abuse and gender-based violence, supported by resources such as our workplace toolkit

EU Directive 2024/1385 must come to Bulgaria

A key priority for us in 2026 and 2027 is to advocate for the transposition of EU Directive 2024/1385 into Bulgarian law and bring our legal and institutional systems into line with European standards. This is particularly important because the Directive addresses cyber abuse as a form of gender-based violence.

In preparation, at the beginning of 2026, we launched YouAreSafeOnline, a pioneering online guide to technology-facilitated abuse in Bulgaria. The guide helps people understand what digital abuse is, recognise its different forms and find practical advice on protecting themselves and seeking support.

The situation in Bulgaria requires decisive and proactive work from civic society organisations like ours. We might be small, but we are innovative and bold. We remain focused on the big picture and continue to paint it through a range of activities. We support survivors, conduct research, develop awareness campaigns and lead an agile coalition working towards systemic change, stronger prevention and better protection for people affected by domestic and gender-based violence. We are also inspired, because we celebrate women’s contribution to the development of modern Bulgarian society with our project The women that shaped Bulgaria.

Get in touch with the Wake Up Foundation: 

hello@thewakeupfoundation.org

https://www.linkedin.com/company/89600307

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