Equality between genders is a measure for democratic development, National Assembly President Tsetska Tsacheva stated at the high-level Conference dedicated to issues concerning the action plan “Beijing + 20”, organized by UNESCO in Paris.

The forum is themed: “Re-Thinking Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in 2015 and beyond”. Women, leaders, from all over the world, international experts and prominent defendants of gender equality are attending. The event is hosted by the Director General of UNESCO Mrs. Irina Bokova.

Tsetska Tsacheva, who is a key reporter at the event, has stated that by holding such an important forum UNESCO confirms once again its strong commitment to transform the empowerment of women and the gender equality into a norm of the contemporary political, economic, social and cultural life in the different countries. Unfortunately though, 20 years after the Beijing’s Declaration and the adopted action plan, the advancement in the equal distribution of the political representation of women on a global scale is still unsatisfactory, stressed Tsetska Tsacheva. In her view the efforts in this respect should intensify, keeping in mind that women had proven long ago their ability and potential to find solutions in difficult situations, to be the main leading force in the resolution of conflicts bearing distinct social orientation and responsibility.

The Chair of the National Assembly stressed that in Bulgaria the defense of the rights of women and girls, their education and empowerment is a priority among the defense of human rights. It is at the top of the agenda for development after the year 2015. She underscored that the Bulgarian legislation grants full equality between women and men in all spheres of social relations and is intrinsic to the legal system.

Tsetska Tsacheva informed the participants in the conference with the situation in Bulgaria saying that in the last two decades Bulgaria experienced a clear trend towards an increased role of the women in political life. Women are presiding over parliament and the city council of the capital for two terms now. The commissioners of Bulgaria in the EU since its accession in 2007 have always been women.

We consider it to be a particular honor that a Bulgarian woman is at the head of UNESCO, a woman who proved her reformist and transforming influence over the activity of the organization, the chair of the parliament added. She also referred to another statistics showing that 30 per cent of the municipal councilors in Bulgaria were women, as were two thirds of the magistrates at all levels and 43 per cent of the prosecutors. The presence of women in the media, where they represent more than half of the journalistic staff, as well as in the non-governmental sector is particularly  strong, underscored the speaker of the parliament.

Tsetska Tsacheva noted that migration and unemployment – among the young in particular - together with the demographic crisis were the new challenges requiring new solutions.