Contributed by: Genoveva Tisheva, Bulgaria National VAW Monitor

Among other initiatives, an important exchange of good practices can be mentioned among NGOs in the region. Representatives of BGRF and “Demetra” Association– Burgas visited Tbilisi, Georgia and met their colleagues from the Anti-Violence Network of  Georgia. They compared their practice and the legislation against domestic violence in place in the two countries. As a result, the partners decided to organize three seminars in Tbilisi and Batumi with representatives of “Demetra” Association and BGRF, including a representative of the Bulgarian police and a lawyer from Sofia. They will visit Georgia in late November to share their experience, namely in the field of the implementation of the Bulgarian law on domestic violence, including the interdisciplinary approach to the issue and the coordinated response of the community to this phenomenon. Intensive exchange in Russian and the discovery of common cultural elements, including the Orthodox tradition, are an asset for a future strong partnership.