As a result of the project ‘PROTECT: Strengthening Bulgaria's Approach to Gender-Based Violence through Norwegian Collaboration’, a comprehensive overview of Norwegian policies and institutional practices has been given to the Bulgarian partners to investigate and prosecute domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence.
The project aims to strengthen the capacity of Bulgarian authorities to investigate and prosecute domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence. The research involved an extensive review of policies on preventing gender-based and domestic violence, including an analysis of legislation, government documents, action plans, and reports from GREVIO (Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence).
“We aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of Norwegian practices, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses to make it relevant for the Bulgarian context,” says Anna Ratecka.
Anna Ratecka is a postdoc at Södertörn University working together with Professor May-Len Skilbrei at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law. They have written the report that outlines Norway's four pillars in this area: prevention, protection, prosecution, and coordinated policy.
The findings were presented at a seminar in Sofia in October 2023, with representatives from the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice, academia, and NGOs. Bulgarian prosecutors also visited Oslo in December 2023 to meet with the Norwegian research team and justice system officials.
“While the practices cannot be directly translated, we believe the examples of good practice can inspire and highlight important issues such as victim protection, including child victims, and the need for prevention strategies like changing gender norms and coordinating government efforts,” explains Ratecka.
During the Sofia visit, the team visited relevant Bulgarian institutions, including the Special Investigative Chamber.
“We had a rare opportunity to see forensic tools and techniques, and even had our fingerprints taken!” she adds.
The project underscores the need for comparative research on gender-based violence policies, with Ratecka noting that “such research should consider the local context, taking into account historical and social circumstances. Solutions developed in one country cannot simply be transferred to another.”
Her project partner May-Len Skilbrei adds that it was important for Ratecka and herself to not contribute to an understanding of the Norwegian case as an exemplary one that Bulgarian authorities should strive to emulate. Skilbrei elaborates:
“The Norway Grants are given to support democracy, good governance and the rule of law in beneficiary states. This easily create a power imbalance between the partners where others are to learn from Norway. I believe that partnerships are most valuable if partners can treat each other as equals and see exchange and learning as a two-way street. In light of that, I would like to see the Norway Grants fund more research time for both funder and beneficiary partners.”
PROTECT is Skilbrei’s fourth time as a partner in an EEA and Norway Grant project, and she states that this has given her insights that has meant a lot for her own work.
Facts
The project ‘PROTECT: Strengthening Bulgaria's Approach to Gender-Based Violence through Norwegian Collaboration’ was funded by The EEA and Norway Grants. The project is a collaboration between the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, the Chamber of Investigators in Bulgaria, and the Research & Training Point Foundation.