Publication: Bulgaria Gender Landscape
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Date
2024-07-30
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2024-07-30
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According to the 2023 Gender Equality Index (EIGI) by the European Institute for Gender Equality, which measures gender equality across six dimensions,1 Bulgaria has closed critical gaps in gender equality. Still, more progress is needed to catch up with EU peers. Bulgaria has improved its Gender Equality Index scores, which are consistently and significantly lower than the EU average. In 2023, Bulgaria scored 65.1 out of 100 on the EIGI, ranking in the 12th -lowest place among the EU-27 countries and 5.1 points below the average score for the EU (figure 1). Since 2020, Bulgaria’s score has increased by 4.4 points, one of the biggest improvements among EU member states. Despite improvements, the country ranks lower than the European average in all subindicators, except in the power dimension. In addition, its progress in gender equality was slower, ensuring growing disparities between that country and the EU over time. Comparing the six available subindicators with the EU averages, Bulgaria performs well in the power and time dimensions. Still, it performs poorly in the money and health dimensions, falling significantly behind the European average.2 Going beyond composite indicators, the country lags in several dimensions. These include selected aspects of human endowments, economic opportunities (as measured by participation in economic activities and access to and control of critical productive assets), and voice and agency, as expressed in political participation, freedom from gender-based violence, and the ability to make key decisions.
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“Robayo-Abril, Monica; Rude, Britta. 2024. Bulgaria Gender Landscape. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/41972 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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