Activities Bulgaria, 25.11.2016

1. Say “NO”
to women
abuse
25.11.2016

2. International Day for the Elimination of Violence
against Women
November 25th is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against
Women, which says openly "no" to violence, as with its annual celebration we rely on
this message to reach more people. The day is celebrated around the world and in 1999
was declared by the UN as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against
Women.
40-50% of women in the European Union are physically abused or home. Every fourth
Bulgarian was suffering from domestic violence.
White ribbons - symbol for empathy with the
fight against the aggression toward women.

3. Often when we hear the word "violence", we imagine the
physical side - fists and kicks, accompanied by the occasional bad
word. The next picture is swollen face, blue circles around the
eyes, bleeding or split lip, hematoma, bruising and marks on the
body. But that's not all of it, there is another hidden side - the
psychological violence that is much more severe in terms of the
suffering of the victims and the path that they must take in order
to normalize their existence and get back to normal activities and
lifestyle.
TYPES OF VIOLENCE

4. CONSEQUENCES
Silence:
A consequence from the violence is psychological trauma - silence. Women victims of violence are making strenuous efforts to
cover it up. The experienced pain and humiliation live only in the mind of the woman. Silence is a form of protecting your ego,
the good image of yourself. On one hand you want to "forget" about the violence, as if it never happened. On the other hand
there is a need to speak, and thus be relieved from the heavy memories.
Guilt:
The sense that the victim is guilty, experienced as a personal conviction. She lives with the thought that her actions are wrong
and she is responsible for the bad behavior of the oppressor, and that she encourages him. The victim believes that if she
changes and becomes "better“, the violence will stop.
Loss of faith in yourself:
Due to isolation and lack of "world interactions", traumatized people are often portrayed as passive or helpless. The prolonged
captivity destroys the sense of security and autonomy. The victims of violence regard any action as an act of disobedience that
carries the risk of punishment. Over time most decision making is left to the abuser. The victim loses its ability for autonomy
and begins to feel helpless and unable to cope alone.
State of dependency:
Victims may predict violence, but cannot escape from it. They are psychologically bound by a particular emotional and
diminishing to their own personality way with the abuser. He has a strong obsessive power over his victim and abuses his
position of defender and guardian. This confuses the concepts of good and evil to the person under his authority. Since the
victim is isolated, she becomes more dependent on the abuser.

5. On 21.04.2016 Bulgaria signed the Convention of the Council of
Europe on preventing and combating violence against women and
domestic abuse (Istanbul Convention). Our country joined the Istanbul
Convention. Ekaterina Zaharieva signed on behalf of Bulgaria. Joining
the Convention, we are obliged to take measures to prevent and tackle
all forms of violence caused by gender inequality. The ceremony was
attended by Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn
Jagland. He was in Sofia for the international conference of justice
ministers of the member states of the Council of Europe. 38 countries
have approved the document so far and 24 of them are EU members.
Convention of the Council of Europe on preventing and
combating violence against women and domestic abuse

6. How to prevent violence in 3 easy steps
Step 3
If you notice a woman is being abused- HELP
HER
Step 2
Respect your fellow student, teacher, mother,
grandmother, aunt, sister…
Step 1
Do not be an abuser: DO NOT BULLY, DO NOT
HIT, DO NOT HUMILIATE

10. UN invited governments, international organizations
and NGOs to organize activities to raise public attention to
the problems of the Day to international concern. Women
worldwide are subjected to violence and the scale and the
true nature of this problem often remains hidden.

11. I would like to smile and be happy again.