On December 2, 2021 in the conference hall of Pernik Municipality the team of PULSE Foundation held a round table "Regional Program for Prevention, Rehabilitation and Integration of Victims and Perpetrators of Domestic Violence and Sensitization of the Family and Society on the Problem". The event took place with the support of the Municipality of Pernik.

The round table was attended by representatives of key institutions from Pernik district, related to the problems of domestic violence and gender-based violence - Pernik District Administration, Pernik Municipality, Radomir Municipality, Pernik Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, Pernik District Court, Radomir Municipality , Center for Public Support-Pernik, Department of Child Protection at the Social Assistance Directorate-Pernik, Bulgarian Red Cross, Solidarity in Action, Drugan village, Radomir municipality and others.

The round table was opened by Stefan Krastev, Deputy Mayor of Pernik Municipality. In his speech, Mr. Krastev emphasized the seriousness of the problem of domestic violence and the need for effective policies at local and national level. Institutions and organizations in Pernik have built a mechanism for good cooperation and partnership in cases of violence.

Ekaterina Veleva, Chairperson, and Mariana Evtimova, Executive Chairperson, presented the current global and national data on the issue of gender-based violence. Unfortunately, data from studies by the WHO and Bulgarian sociological agencies show a deepening of the problem.

Violence affects every third Bulgarian family, and access to help and support services is still severely restricted and in places impossible.

During the event were presented the first results of a large-scale national survey of 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, which PULSE Foundation conducted together with the Center for the Study of Democracy.

One of the first Regional Coordination Mechanisms for Response to Domestic Violence was signed in Pernik. There is still no such national mechanism in our country. During the event, data and good practices from the implementation of the local response and coordination mechanism were presented.

The participants in the round table shared their experience, good practices and vision for improving cooperation at the local level.

The round table was one of the events held by the PULSE Foundation on the occasion of the World 16 Days of Activism against Violence (between November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and December 10, 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 of violence against women and girls, as a unifying theme, running through all the global activities of the campaign.