On December 8тх, 2021, in the town of Kardzhali, the team of PULSE Foundation, with the support of the Kardzhali District Administration, held a round table on "Regional Program for Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Integration of Victims and Perpetrators of Domestic Violence and Family Sensitization and society on the issue".

The round table was attended by more than 25 representatives of key institutions in the district of Kardzhali, related to the problems of domestic violence and gender-based violence, Municipality of Kardzhali, RD of the Ministry of Interior - Kardzhali, Child Protection Department of the Social Assistance Directorate - Kardzhali, Preventive Information Center of the Municipality of Kardzhali, representatives of social services, a representative of the Widow's Sons Masonic Riders Association for Kardzhali and others.

The event was opened by Pavel Gatev - Deputy District Governor of Kardzhali.

In his speech, Mr. Gatev emphasized the importance of the problem of domestic violence and its deepening in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed the support of the district administration for the cause of living without violence.

Ekaterina Veleva, Chairperson, and Mariana Evtimova, Executive Chairperson of the PULSE Foundation, presented the programs and services provided by the organization in support of people affected by violence.

Myuzhgyan Adem, coordinator of the Doverie Club at the PULSE Foundation in the town of Kardzhali, presented the first activities and the formation of a group of volunteers providing telephone counseling and support to victims of violence.

With the support of the Municipality of Kardzhali, the city has an open counseling office - "trust room", where victims of violence can get information about their rights, support opportunities, free consultations with a psychologist, lawyer and social worker.

Velko Bonev, representative of Widow's Sons Masonic Riders Association, expressed his joy at the cooperation between the two organizations and the readiness for support and joint initiatives at the local level in Kardzhali.

During the event, the first results of a large-scale national survey of the attitudes of institutions, representatives of civil society organizations, activists and others regarding policies and practices in our country to combat domestic violence and gender-based violence were presented.

The round table was one of the events organized by the PULSE Foundation on the occasion of the 16th World Days of Activism against Violence (November 25th, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and December 10th, Human Rights Day). The campaign was founded by activists from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

For another year, the color orange was used to represent a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls, as a unifying theme that runs through all the global activities of the campaign.

Data for Bulgaria show that every third woman is affected by some form of violence. Since the beginning of the year, at least 17 women have lost their lives from an intimate partner in our country.

COVID-19 exacerbates all risk factors for gender-based violence, including unemployment and poverty, and reinforces many of the root causes, such as gender stereotypes. Data from civil society organizations providing assistance and support to victims of violence show an increase since the beginning of the pandemic. Our country lacks enough crisis centers and counseling programs to provide timely professional assistance to victims of violence.

Each year, the PULSE Foundation team helps and supports over 350 people who have suffered from various forms of violence, trafficking or other problems - depression, panic attacks, parenting difficulties, etc. Since January 2021, the team has worked with about 306 people, with over 1,100 therapeutic consultations and 350 crisis interventions. During this period, 55 people at the highest risk to their health and lives have used the shelter of PULSE Foundation.