Equality before the law, equality before God – non-discrimination

Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria

                                                   Fundamental Principles

      

Adopted on: 12 July 1991

Article 6 [Human Dignity, Freedom, Equality] 

(2) All citizens shall be equal before the law. There shall be no privileges or restriction of rights on the grounds of race, nationality, ethnic self-identity, sex, origin, religion, education, opinion, political affiliation, personal or social status, or property status.

Article 11 [Political Parties] 

(4) There shall be no political parties on ethnic, racial, or religious lines, nor parties which seek the violent usurpation of state power.

Article 13 [Religion] 

(1) The practicing of any religion is free. 
(2) The religious institutions shall be separate from the state. 
(3) Eastern Orthodox Christianity is considered the traditional religion in the Republic of Bulgaria. 
(4) Religious institutions and communities and religious beliefs shall not be used to political ends.

Article 37 [Freedom of Religion and Belief] 

(1) The freedom of conscience, the freedom of thought, and the choice of religion and of religious or atheistic views are inviolable. The state shall assist the maintenance of tolerance and respect among the believers from different denominations, and among believers and non-believers. 
(2) The freedom of conscience and religion shall not be practiced to the detriment of national security, public order, public health and morals, or of the rights and freedoms of others.

Article 44 [Association] 

(2) No organization shall act to the detriment of the country's sovereignty and national integrity, or the unity of the nation, nor shall it incite racial, national, ethnic, or religious enmity or an encroachment on the rights and freedoms of citizens; no organization shall establish clandestine or paramilitary structures or shall seek to attain its aims through violence.

Article 58 [Observing Constitution] 

(2) Obligations established by the Constitution and the law shall not be defaulted upon on grounds of religious or other convictions.

http://www.vks.bg/english/vksen_p04_01.htm

 Gender Equality
The Bulgarian Constitution and the Labour Code both contain provisions prohibiting discrimination.
Discrimination on grounds on gender is also prohibited under the Promotion of Employment Act, the Civil Servants Act, the Social Assistance Act, Defence and Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria Act. Protection against Discrimination Act entered into force in 2004. Bulgaria ratified CEDAW in 2006. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women.The Employment Promotion Act (2002) forbids discriminatory requirements related to gender, age or nationality when posting job vacancies.
 In 2004, the activity rate for women was 45.4% and for men 56.1%. Women’s activity rate has been decreasing for the past years. Most occupations generally exercised by women - eg teachers, auxiliary medical staff, staff in hotels, catering and services, and auxiliary staff - are widely perceived, based on social stereotypes, as 'female' work. This type of employment does not offer many opportunities from the point of view of pay range, career development and possibilities to participate in the decision-making process. The number of occupations where men are in the majority exceeds almost seven-fold the number of occupations dominated by women. These 'male' profession are also, as a rule, more prestigious.
The Bulgarian education system does not show discrimination of a certain gender. Enrollement data does not picture a gender gap. In 2001, 61.7% of the university graduates were women. However, the cut backs of the goverment on public spending, especially concearning education, affect the female population more than male, since mostly women are employed as teachers in this country.

http://www.tft.gender.is/bg/page/bu_gender_equality
http://www.planetbmagazine.com/page/unesco.html 

Minorities

Data from the National Statistical Institute from the population and housing census of 2011 show that the Roma ethnos remains the third largest ethnic group in Bulgaria. 4.9% of the Bulgarian citizens identified themselves as belonging to the Roma ethnos. The census shows a persistent tendency part of the people, identified by the general population as Roma or Gipsy to identify themselves as Bulgarians, Turks, Romanians, etc. which is possibly due to the fact that the persons participating in the census have the right to define their ethnic background themselves or to refrain from indicating it. Approximately half (55.4%) of the persons who identified themselves as belonging to the Roma ethnic group reside in the cities.

A serious problem facing the Roma is the increasing spatial isolation of their community. The concentration of Roma in isolated neighborhoods has increased during the last fifteen years both in the urban and rural areas. This concentration in separate neighbourhoods usually results in the social isolation of their residents, deterioration of their living conditions, problems with the construction and maintenance of the infrastructure and cleanliness, transport problems and difficulties in service provision. One of the most serious consequences is the deterioration of the opportunities for the young generations to be prepared for

involvement in the formal economy, hence the increasing difficulties they encounter in seeking and finding jobs.The Roma people are in a disadvantaged position at the labour market as a result of the structural changes that have taken places in Bulgaria. They are less competitive in terms of qualification, education, social image of their labour status, and social capital.

There are big social inequalities in the group of economically inactive persons. In the relatively smallest group of economically inactive persons – the one of ethnic Bulgarians – the pensioners constitute 68.1%, the students – 14.7%, housewives –9.8% and 7.3% of this group were defined as “Others”.

Among the Roma population economically inactive are three fifths of the persons above 15 years - 61.2%.

The educational level of the three groups – Bulgarians, Turks and Roma - is being raised, but this change is notably weakest with the Roma community.

Social integration is a prerequisite for the successful and sustainable development of the Bulgarian society.

The policies of integration of Roma and of disadvantaged persons from other

ethnic groups are an inseparable part of the national policies aimed at raising the well-being of the Bulgarian people.

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/roma_bulgaria_strategy_en.pdf