About us and the project

The “Pro-active against Violence against Women” project is implemented by Animus Association Foundation, in partnership with Society and Safety Foundation and is financially supported by Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Norway under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area. Its main goal is to raise awareness and activate the civil society to stand against violence against women.

Domestic violence and violence against women remain a serious problem for the Bulgarian society which does not have an adequate institutional and civil response. The lack of understanding that violence against women is rooted into the inequality of men and women’s social roles as well as the misunderstanding of the term “gender” show society’s visible need of awareness-raising campaigns. Domestic violence is still seen as an abstract phenomenon without a face, as personal matter, which does not deserve to face the full force of the law and attention of society. Police officers’ understanding of domestic violence determines their reactions to such case reports and to violations of restricting orders which is crucial to the case development and to the successful exit of the situation of violence as well as to the victims’ trust in the protection and support system.

Society and Safety Foundation is a non-governmental organization with public benefit purposes, which works for changing people’s opinions police officers (employees of the Ministry of Interior) and for building relationships of mutual trust and partnership.

The joint work of the two organizations will allow for the examination of police officers’ attitudes towards domestic violence and for the organization of trainings for them on the topic of domestic violence.

The project’s duration is 36 months – November 1, 2019 – November 1, 2022.