Current projects:

“Young People – Building Policies for Community Development Through Culture and Creativity" is the new project of WAD foundation, co-funded by the “Youth in Action” Programme.

The project aims at improving the environment – both in terms of policies as well as facilities and practical opportunities – for increasing the knowledge and key skills for employment and professional realization of the young people in the sphere of cultural and creative industries (CCIs). This goal will be achieved through a combination of activities, including studies to map the current employment situation in the CCIs in three select municipalities, interviews and discussions with decision and policy makers, visits to cultural institutions, and developing policy and program recommendations to those responsible for youth employment policies.

The project activities, focused on distant towns and youth communities that have smaller opportunities to access cultural institutions and events, will present initiatives for improvement and better utilization of their skills for individual career development; for making connections between education, training and work; for development of the right combination of personal skills and better prediction of the future needs of skills. Activities will take place in Sofia, Silistra, Shoumen, and Pernik. A concluding national meeting of young people in Sofia is also planned.

Visit the website of WAD Foundation and our Facebook profile for further information.

Completed projects:

2005: Fair Conditions for the Women Dressing Europe In January 2005 WAD starts work on a 10-month regional partnership project in the field of labor conditions for women in the textile industry. The project is linked with Oxfam's Make Trade Fair movement and the international Clean Clothes Campaign and will be implemented in three countries, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Serbia.
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2005: Project for the support of the National Network for Equal Opportunities In the beginning of 2005 Global Fund for Women approved a project proposed by WAD. The requested grant will be used for the general operating expenses for the co-ordination and operation of the National Network for Equal Opportunities - NNEO.
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2004-2005: Labor Market and Entrepreneurship Overcoming Gender Stereotypes. In December 2004 was launched a 15-month partnership project funded by the European Commission with the name Labor Market and Entrepreneurship Overcoming Gender Stereotypes. The leading partner is AFAEMME, an international network of Mediterranean businesswomen organizations working for ensuring gender equality in economic life. Main partner is KARAT Coalition while WAD is the national partner for Bulgaria.
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2004-2005: Qualitative Study of "alternative" economy in Bulgaria. This project refers to the analysis of informal or alternative economy employment in Bulgaria. This type of employment has important links with the situation of the working poor as it has been documented that apparently "formal jobs" are being taken up by women for lower pay, no social security protection and other negative conditions. References to the levels of education of women engaged in this type of employment as well as highlighting differences by age, urban-rural and other relevant differences such as ethnic group.
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2004-2006: Capacity building of employers, NGOs and trade unions for implementation of the Law on Protection Against Discrimination is the name of a new project of WAD. The project, which will continue for 15 months, starts in December 2004 and is funded by PHARE. It will be implemented in North-western Bulgaria, in the cities of Vratza, Vidin, Montana and Lom.
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2004-2005: Prevention of Prostitution and Trafficking in Two Bulgarian Municipalities On September 1, 2004 starts the new one-year project of WAD Foundation funded through the Democracy Commission of US Embassy in Bulgaria. The objective of the project is to limit the danger of prostitution and trafficking of children from social groups at risk in two cities, Targoviste and Sandansky. That's the third WAD project of this type and the organization concentrates its efforts fully on prevention of such phenomena.
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2004-2005: Incorporating Women's Issues in Local Government Agenda. In September 2004 WAD Foundation starts the implementation of a new partnership project with two organizations from NNEO - "SOS - Families in Disgrace" Association in Varna and European Compass Society in Silistra. The project is funded through a program of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Norway. The efforts of the three organizations are aimed towards increasing civil participation and policy development on the local level.
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Previous projects funded by NOVIB:

2003 - 2004: Project "Empowering and Participation" (More...)

2001 - 2002: Project "Mobilizing Local Action"
2000 - 2001: Project "Leadership Training"
1998 - 2000: Project "Women's Resource Center"
1998: Project "Humanitarian Aid" 2
1997: Project "Action for Women - Women for Action"
1997: Project "Humanitarian Aid"

Campaigns and joint projects:

2003: Management and coordination of project "Reducing the risk of prostitution and trafficking of economically disadvantaged children in target areas in Russe, Bulgaria", USAID sponsored. WAD is responsible for the management, coordination and capacity building of the 4 partners organizations, implementing the project.    (More...)

2003: Motivation campaign for local elections 2003, supported by NDI. 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.

2002: Successful implementation of a join project funded by NDI "Bridging the gap between elected representatives and voters. Open dialogue: Educational programs for prevention of trafficking in the secondary schools". Four local NGOs, members of the NNEO were involved. (More...)

2001: WAD and 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, supported by NDI.    (More...)

1999: - "Project Parity - Bulgaria" - WAD carried out the first national campaign for more women in the local elections in 1999, resulting in the establishment of the "120 Platform" - a political, though non-partisan coalition, working for equal gender representation in decision -making.   (More...)

1998-1999- WAD has acted as information an lobby group, assisting La Strada Program against trafficking in women

Research projects:

2002-2003 - 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, Romania and Croatia and aimed at reflecting the needs, interests and views of local stakeholders, as well as the regional opportunities and international processes.   (More...)

2001 - 2002:- Research: Women, labor and globalization and coordination of comparative analysis of the status of women and men in Bulgaria, Hungary and Kazakhstan, sponsored by UNIFEM.    (More...)

2002 - Research "Bulgaria: Gender Aspects of Poverty" for the World Bank
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1998 - Shadow report to CEDAW, article for Social Watch edition 1999 on Copenhagen and Beijing follow-up.

Services to donors: administration and coordination of grants:

2001 - 2004: Administration of the grants program of the Co-operating Netherlands Foundations.

1997 - 2001 - Administration of the Charity Know How program for Bulgaria,education and small grants

On February 27-28, 2013 in Pernik took place the first meeting with young people, organized under the project “Young People – Building Policies for Community Development through Culture and Creativity”. The project is implemented by the Women’s Alliance for Development and is co-funded by the Youth in Action Program of the EC. The meeting brought together high school students, university students, young artists, representatives of cultural institutes, as well as representatives of the municipal administration to discuss issues related to vocational training and employment opportunities for the byouth in the creative and cultural industries in the city.

Guests at the 2-day meeting included Ms Ilinka Nikiforova, Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture in the city of Pernik, Ms Svetlana Lomeva, Executive Director of Sofia Development Association, Ms Snezhanka Viktorova, Head of Section Education and Culture, Denitsa Lozanova, Project manager of the project, WAD Foundation. Mr. Slavcho Chanev, Senior Expert in the Education and Culture Section of the city shared his expertise and experience in organizing the landmark festivals in Pernik – the Koukeri Surva Festival and the rock music fest Kitariada.