The shortage of skilled labour[1] is one of the most severe constraints affecting economic growth in Bulgaria in recent years. This is a constantly recurring problem posed by employers’ organisations, and it gradually embraces all sectors of the economy and professions, but also different companies - from micro-enterprises to large companies. There are various reasons for this - a permanently deteriorating demographic picture, demotivation of a significant number of the working-age population (analysed in a study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Institute of Economics and International Relations in a survey in 2017), and the quality education and vocational training that is inadequate for the labour market.

Just as the Covid-19 crisis has transformed the daily lives of most people across the planet, it has highlighted many of the traits of the socio-economic system that predated the virus but were very largely ignored. In particular, it has highlighted the precariousness of many of the most essential workers to the continued existence of society, those ensuring health and care, food cultivation and harvesting, goods delivery and waste disposal.

This is the opinion of manager and founder of Centre Dinamika Association – Deana Dimova. She has a master's degree in psychology and a postgraduate qualification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Social Management. She has been working in the social field for over 15 years - psychodiagnosis, training, psychosocial support and counseling for victims of domestic and gender-based violence. Here's what she told us according to her personal practice in the anti-violence center which she leads.

Gender-based violence is a problem invariably linked to the lack of equality between men and women, and most often to the economic dependency of partners in a relationship that can very often be the cause of violence and abuse. On April 26, 2016, Bulgaria adopted the Gender Equality Law, which aims to guarantee equal opportunities for both sexes. What did the country achieve 4 years later and what else is needed to achieve for a golden environment?