Nearly 1 in 3 women over the age of 15 worldwide have been physically or sexually abused by an intimate partner at least once in their lifetime.

Every year, thousands of Bulgarian daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers, granddaughters, cousins, nieces, colleagues and friends are subjected to violence.

For 2022, at least 19 women have been killed by their current or former partners and by the pandemic called violence against women.

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and horrific human rights violations today.

Violence against women is the most extreme form of discrimination.

Every year between November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and December 10, Human Rights Day, are the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. The campaign was created by activists from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and this year marks its 31st anniversary.

The initiative meets the support of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General's UNiTE campaign by 2030 to end violence against women (UNiTE Campaign). It was launched in 2008 to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls worldwide, calling for global action to raise awareness, stimulate advocacy and create opportunities for discussion about challenges and solutions.

For another year, governments, civil society, women's organizations, young people, the private sector, the media, the UN system, government partners, schools, universities and individuals to raise awareness, responsibility and improve national policies and standards.

Unfortunately, levels of violence against women and girls have remained largely unchanged over the past decade. These numbers do not reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and would be even higher if they included the full continuum of violence that affects women and girls, including sexual harassment, digital violence and sexual exploitation.

COVID-19 and the crisis in Ukraine have exacerbated all the risk factors for gender-based violence, including unemployment and poverty, and reinforced many of the root causes, such as gender stereotypes.

Our country still lacks enough crisis centers and counseling programs to provide timely professional help to victims of violence, and legal changes are still at the legislative initiative stage.

Over the next 16 days, we join the calls of this year's global campaign “United! Activism to end violence against women and girls”.

The PULSE Foundation will participate in the campaign with a series of events on important dates that aim to put the issue of violence and the opportunities to support victims on the agenda.

Every year, the team at the PULSE Foundation provides help and support to over 350 people who have suffered from various forms of violence, trafficking, or have other problems - depression, panic attacks, parenting difficulties, etc. From January 2022 until now, the team has worked with more than 300 children and individuals, as well as with their families, with more than 2,000 therapeutic consultations and 500 crisis interventions. During this period, about 60 people at the highest health risk and their lives, have passed through the shelter of the PULSE Foundation.

We move forward, believe and include like-minded people with whom we work together to help more and more people who suffer or witness violence to BE ACTIVE, to be the change, to talk about violence, to recognize it, to denounce it and to prevent it , because Love shouldn't hurt.

If you need additional information or have any questions, you can contact Julia Andonova, Director of Development and Communications, by phone: 076 60 10 10 and by email: office@pulsfoundation.org.

Credit: Maria Yordanova - actress, photographer Ilko Vakarelov