Period:
January 2025 – May 2026
Company research and report preparation:
March – August 2025
Trainings:
November 2025 – April 2026
Final event:
May 2026
The project ‘The Office as a Space for Strength and Empowerment’ aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of selected companies with a focus on gender equality and policies for preventing gender-based violence. Using the Gender Benchmark methodology developed by the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), the project will assess the positioning of Bulgarian companies against global standards and identify gaps that can be addressed through targeted measures and initiatives.
Companies that have signed the Bulgarian Diversity Charter
Companies that have signed the Women’s Empowerment Principles
The Top 100 Employers for 2024 according to the Career Show ranking
Companies that demonstrate a commitment to workplace equality and the prevention of gender-based violence
- Provide data on the current status of key gender equality indicators within these companies
- Identify specific gaps in gender-based violence prevention policies
- Support companies in developing structured approaches to improve their policies and practices
One of the objectives of the project is to highlight the importance of ratifying the ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work as a key standard in addressing these issues. The analysis and outcomes will showcase how Bulgarian companies can play a leading role in building safe and inclusive work environments.
The analysis preparation does not require prior consent or direct involvement from the selected companies, as it relies solely on publicly available information such as official websites, public reports, and other open sources. To promote transparency and enhance the value of the research, companies included in the study will be kept informed throughout each stage and invited to engage according to their interest and capacity.
Selected Bulgarian companies will be notified about the analysis based on publicly accessible data. They will have the opportunity, should they wish, to learn more about the process and methodology and to voluntarily provide additional information that may enrich the comprehensiveness and objectivity of the study.
Following the initial assessment, the project team will invite the analysed companies to review the preliminary findings. Subsequently, they will receive the final report summarizing how Bulgarian companies perform relative to global standards on gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence. This report will be anonymised, ensuring that no individual company is identified.
All companies included in the study will be invited to participate free of charge in the planned training sessions on key topics, as well as in the final event presenting the project’s outcomes.
Selection
Initial
Invitation
Publication
Conducting
Organising
By applying the Gender Benchmark methodology of the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), the project will evaluate company positioning against global standards and identify gaps that can be addressed through specific measures and initiatives.
The Gender Benchmark assesses company progress on achieving gender equality in the context of the SDGs, focusing on key areas such as:
Women in leadership roles
Gender pay gap
Risks in supply chains
Policies to address gender-based violence in the workplace
Providing criteria and indicators for evaluating company performance promotes transparency, accountability, and improved corporate policies.
- Building sustainable partnerships for knowledge and experience exchange
- A publicly accessible report with key findings, analysis, and recommendations
- A self-assessment questionnaire to help companies evaluate their progress on gender equality and responsible business conduct
- Trainings aimed at promoting best practices and building capacity
- A final event presenting project results, conclusions, and next steps
A self-assessment questionnaire designed to help you check in where your organisation stands on the path toward gender equality.
This project is implemented under the “Force” programme with the financial support of the Bulgarian Fund for Women and the European Union. The views and opinions expressed, however, are solely those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Bulgarian Fund for Women, the European Union or the European Commission Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers. Neither the Bulgarian Fund for Women, the European Union, the European Commission, nor any of their respective structures or entities can be held responsible for these actions or outcomes.