UN expert on violence against women to visit Bulgaria

GENEVA (11 October 2019) – The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Dubravka Šimonović, will visit Bulgaria from 14 to 21 October 2019.

“I will look into issues of violence against women and girls as well as its causes and consequences, including access to shelters, justice and reproductive health services,” Šimonović said.

“I will also consider the challenges faced by women who encounter multiple forms of discrimination and violence, including women from minorities, women with disabilities and migrant and refugee women.”

The Special Rapporteur will meet Government officials, representatives of civil society, UN agencies and the Ombudsperson. She will visit Sofia, Sliven, Haskovo, Dimitrovgrad and Varna.

“I will assess laws, policies, and the provision of services and good practices with a view to recommending measures to the State aimed at eradicating gender-based violence against women and strengthening the implementation of its international obligations on violence against women and women’s human rights,” she said.

“I look forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue with the authorities and to contributing to the reinforcement and protection of women’s rights in Bulgaria.”

The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference to share the preliminary findings of her visit at 14:00 local time on Monday 21 October at the Bulgaria Telegraph Agency in Sofia. Access will be strictly limited to journalists.

Šimonović will present her final report to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2020.

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