site.btaLabour Ministry Presents Gender Equality Achievement Awards

The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy said on Thursday that it has presented the 2024 Gender Equality Policy Achievement Awards.

Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Rumyana Petrova opened the ceremony and handed the awards to the recipients.

"The policy on gender equality applies to all areas of life and is essential for good governance and social progress," Petrova said. "Bulgarian law ensures equal rights for all genders, but these rights would be merely symbolic without the support of socially responsible employers, organizations, and institutions," she added.

Petrova thanked the recipients for helping employees achieve a better balance between their personal and professional lives, as well as supporting their career growth. "April 26, 2025, marks nine years since the Equality between Women and Men Act was adopted. Your efforts show how important this law is and the key part it plays in promoting equality and preventing discrimination, which remain top priorities for the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy," she said.

Winners of the eighth edition of the competition were the Ardino Municipal Administration, the Technical University of Sofia, the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, water utility company Sofiyska Voda, Kamenitsa Brewery, the Municipality of Radomir, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions in Agriculture, the National Electric Company, and Experian Bulgaria.

At least 33% of board seats in publicly listed companies should be occupied by the underrepresented gender, according to proposed changes to the Law on Equality between Women and Men. The target date for meeting this requirement is June 30, 2026. On February 20, Members of Parliament began discussing the amendments at first reading, but the session was adjourned due to a lack of quorum.