The state will encourage employers to hire unemployed parents with children up to 4 years old by providing funds for wages, social and health insurance, as well as training funds. This is provided for by the National Plan for Promoting Equality between Women and Men for the period 2027-2028, informs the Bulgarian National Radio.
The document has been published for public discussion, and includes a number of measures, including for better reconciliation of professional and private life and reducing gender pay gaps.
The measures in the National Plan are five priorities - equality of women and men in the labor market and an equal degree of economic independence; reducing the gender pay and income gap, promoting equality between women and men in decision-making processes; combating violence and protecting and supporting victims; and overcoming gender stereotypes in various spheres of public life.
Among the measures envisaged are providing care for children up to five years of age who do not attend nurseries, kindergartens and preschool groups, to parents (care is permissible for up to 8 hours a day), ensuring employment for people with permanent disabilities, annual updating of pensions from July 1 according to the Swiss rule for reducing poverty among pensioners.
It is also planned to monitor the participation of women and men in current journalistic programs of the public providers BNR and BNT, as well as to stimulate talented children, boys and girls in the field of arts and sports by providing scholarships and one-time financial assistance.
The implementation of the plan will be financially ensured within the approved funds in the budgets of the responsible institutions and organizations and from other sources. The implementation will be reported on through an annual report on equality between women and men.