WAD was founded in late 1996 by a group of 13 women-leaders of independent NGOs, working in the field of human rights, gender equality, environmental protection and civil society development. It was a response to our exposure important international events, such as the IV World Conference on Women in Beijing 1995 and the Istanbul Habitat II Conference. In summer 1996 that group of women had the chance to participate in a one-month training and study visit to the U.K., after which the decision was taken to establish an NGO, working in the field of gender equality with a focus on gender and development.

Novib established contacts with some women-founders in 1994, mainly with respect to Novib's dedication to support services that help women-survivors of violence. These contacts, common activities during the Beijing Conference and on-going discussions about the general human rights situation, women's rights, development policies, poverty eradication led to an agreement about core funding of main activities of the newly established WAD foundation in 1997.

The main idea of the founders was to create a strong service, advocacy and lobby centre, which would support grassroots organisations throughout Bulgaria, enhance networking between - without turning into an umbrella organisation, and to foster international participation of women's groups in the global consultative process.

Six years later, WAD has succeeded in establishing a highly respected Resource Centre, which is specialized in the area of gender and development, and offers information, communication, consultancy and training services to a broad varity of civil society organisations, paying special attention to the support of community-based and newly established groups, on the one hand, and to advocacy and lobbying national and local government, on the other. In year 2000 WAD has also successfully initiated the National Network for Equal Opportunities (NNEO), which brings together around 60 NGOs across the country. The members represent a range of specific interest and expertise and WAD office serves as secretariat to the network. WAD become a well known.

Since 1997 WAD is one of the active members of Karat Coalition for Regional Action, that voiced women's concerns at UN level for the first time in March 1999. The Executive Director of WAD is a Karat Board member. The Alliance is also a member of Network of East West Women, Huairou Commission with the new SHINE (women's grassroots) network for CEE, AVIVA. In 2002 WAD organized the first international meeting of GROOTS network gathering 30 women from 10 countries, representatives of grassroots women's groups, Mothers centers and different civic initiatives. In 1999, WAD joined the Gender Task Force for the countries of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe.

In 1998 WAD presented a shadow report to CEDAW , and organized a consultative process to elaborate a Bulgaria article for Social Watch edition 1999 - on Copenhagen and Beijing follow-up.

In 1999 WAD organized the first national campaign for more women in Local government, resulting in the establishment of the "120 Platform" - a political, though non-partisan coalition, working for equal gender representation in decision-making. Today WAD has a comprehensive vision on a gender equality strategy for Bulgaria as well as a list of priority tasks to remove gender barriers in the main fields of public and private life. This vision is shared by a growing number of women and men leaders of communities, opinion makers and partly - government officials and politicians.



In 2001 WAD and NNEO partners have carried out a first national women-voters' education campaign with the goal to increase the participation of women-voters in the up-coming parliament elections. The Women's Alliance has worked with 13 local partner organizations to involve and inform marginalized groups of women, such as young women - first time voters, young mothers, unemployed women, rural women, minority women, elderly and disabled women about the electoral process and how to hold candidates accountable.

As a follow-up in 2002 WAD together with 4 organizations, members of the NNEO, initiated and conducted a pilot project (with the sponsorship of NDI) in order to build bridge between the elected women members of Parliament and women activists, working in the NGOs on the major social problems. WAD and partners initiated a public dialogue on local level followed by practical recommendations (on national level) to include specific educational programs for prevention of trafficking in the secondary schools as a preventive measure.

Thanks to the support of Novib, WAD manage to develop a well known training center, which is providing training services in 9 main topics and only for the last year, 643 people from different organizations and social groups received special knowledge and skills in NGO management, project proposal writing and fundraising, communication skills. All of the trainings included gender awareness part. In 2002 WAD training center developed also a special gender awareness module, especially designed for local and national authorities.

WAD has been publishing a monthly magazine on issues of gender equality and development for more than 3 years, which achieved serious recognition, although not in terms of subscriptions. For about 2 year an English language magazine was published, which was in 2000 completely reconceptualized in order to serve as the regional magazine of Karat Coalition. Since 16 months WAD is producing a monthly bulletin distributed all over the country.

In the period 2000- 2002 WAD together with ASA (Agency for Social Analyses) conducted a national research on "WOMEN, LABOUR and GLOBALISATION", supported by UNIFEM. Research results give valuable information regarding the social assessment of structural adjustment and globalization, and specific national social problems of different generations of Bulgarian women in comparison with men - today and in the near future. WAD maintains close contacts with the partner NGOs and researchers in Hungary and Kazakhstan.

In 2002 WAD with the Agency for Social Analyses (ASA), Gender Project for Bulgaria (GPB) conducted a research and policy recommendations "Bulgaria: Gender Aspects of Poverty and Inequality in the Family and the Labour Market", supported by the World Bank.

In 2002 WAD coordinated a 6-months needs assessment project "Increasing the level of advocacy skills and experiences in Southeast Europe" ,supported by C.S.Mott Foundation. The assessment was carried out in Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania and aimed at reflecting the needs, interests and views of local stakeholders, as well as the regional opportunities and international processes.

In 2003 WAD participated in national campaign, supported by NDI, linked to the elections for local governments. 7 organizations members of the NNEO worked with different groups of women (Roma and Turkish women, students, young mothers, house workers) motivating them to participate in the voting process and to practice after-elections civil monitoring on the actions of the new local governments.

In 2003 WAD realized the pilot project "Reducing the risk of prostitution and trafficking of economically disadvantaged children in target areas in Russe, Bulgaria", sponsored by USAID. WAD was responsible for the management, coordination and capacity building of the 4 partners organizations, implementing the project. In result of the project WAD succeeded to publish the research "Trafficking in human beings - the Bulgarian answer".