S

(In Socialist Bulgaria —
iberated Women |

The answer to the question about
the role and place of Bulgarian women
in the country’s dynamic socio-politi-
cal life is contained in the socialist
device... “Everything for Man — every-
thing in the name of human well-being.”
The socialist social system ensures
real equality between women and men.
The first draft law submitted by the
newly-established Fatherland Front
Government in September 1944, and
adopted by the National Assembly, in-
troduced equality of legal rights be-
tween men and women in Bulgaria. A
number of measures, passed by the
people’s government, created condi-
tions which made it possible for wo-
men to take an active part in all ex-
ecutive bodies of state power and in
the government of the state, in the
leadership of the political and mass
organizations, in industry and in cul-
tural life.

Equality in society determined the
status of women in the family. One of
the main prerequisites for equality be-
tween men and women is the economic
independence of women. In the last 27
years the general prerequisites were
created for women to go beyond the
walls of their homes. Today 84% of
women capable of work in Bulgaria
are either working or studying.

The employment of women in ma-
terial production is a great political
and economic question. Forty-four per-
cent of the people employed in ma-
terial production are women. In the
period between 1956 and 1970 alone an
additional one million jobs became
available for women.

e Of the total 400 national repre-
sentatives in the National Assembly at
present, 75 are women and 25.68% of
the people’s councillors are women..

e Three women are members of the
State Council, one is vice-president of
the National Assembly, two are minis-
ters and five are deputy ministers.

@ Women make up 14.2% of the

Colonel
nautic enginer, former volunteer in the
International Brigade in Spain and
deputy commander of the international
regiment at the defense of Moscow
during World War Two.

Paulina Neidalkova, aero-

Foreign Affairs.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1972—PAGE 10

oO ee eg
Maria Zacharieva, Deputy Minister of _

(This article, based on an interview
with Elena Lagadinova, member of the
State Council of the People’s Republic
of Bulgaria, and president of the Com-
mittee of Bulgarian Women, is slightly
abridged from the magazine, Bulgaria
Today.)

leading experts in the nation’s econ-
omy.

One of the questions in a recent
survey of the status of women in Bul-
garia was:

“If you and your family were ma-
terially guaranteed, so well off that
you need not work, would you con-
tinue to do so?”

The answers clearly showed the high
political conscientiousness of Bul-
garian women, their ideological convic-
tion. While 57.3% answered that they
would go on working as long as they
were fit to do so and had the possibil-
ity of doing so, 22.7% expressed the
wish to work until they got pensions.

The facts are clear enough to need
no comment!

Women in our country receive the
same pay for their work as men. Inthe
USA, the women’s wages and salaries
are 36% lower than those of men.

According to a statement made by
Lady White (a peeress in the House
of Lords in Great Britain) at an inter-
national conference of the women’s
organizations of the social democratic
parties, (in 1970 in Moscow) not be-
fore 1975 will the pay of women in
Great Britain be equalized with that
of men, even when they are doing the
same work.

What are the main preconditions
which have brought true equality be-
tween women and men in Bulgaria?

In the first place, the nature of the
socialist system of government which
put the country’s economy on the basis
of public ownership of the means of

production solved women’s _ prob-
lems as part of the general prob-
lem of freedom from exploita-

tion of man by man. Then came
compulsory and free education, equal
access to higher education, equal soli-
citude for higher qualifications, and
the accessibility of engineering and
special technical studies to both young
men and women.

e In our country 67% of economists
and planners with secondary education
are women.

e Every second Bulgarian doctor is
a woman, every third engineer is a wo-
man. In the USA only one out of every
300 engineers is a woman, and
in Great Britain only one out of
every 187. Of the students in Bul-
garian higher technical schools 46%
are girls.

Special laws have been passed for
the protection of women’s labor and
the protection of mothers. Lists of the
jobs for women are drawn up every

year and women are excluded from
jobs that may be injurious to their
health. All enterprises give lighter
work to pregnant women from the
fourth month of their pregnancy, with-
out decreasing their pay.

e At childbirth, a mother is entitled
to a paid leave of up to six months and
in this time she receives her full pay.

e Until her child is eight months of
age, she is entitled to a reduced work-
ing day. é

e If a mother wishes, she can take
an unpaid leave of up to one year and
a half, without losing her job and the
time is reckoned in her years of ser-
vice. In cases of sick children, the
mothers are entitled to 30 days annual
paid leave.

In raising and educating their chil-
dren, Bulgarian mothers avail them-
selves of a wide range of services
provided for them by the network of
children’s daily, weekly, half-day, tem-
porary and seasonal nurseries and kin-
dergartens, where, at a minimum cost,
they can leave their children to be
looked after by specially trained teach-
ers and nurses.

At present, 25% of Bulgarian chil-
dren up to seven years of age are in
permanent full-day and weekly nurs-
eries and kindergartens, and 67% are
in permanent half-day temporary and
seasonal nurseries and kindergartens.

Children of student families are
maintained completely by the state,
and their parents receive a family al-
lowance. Besides these allowances for
children, Bulgarian women after child-
birth are entitled to aid’ given in a lump
sum by the state. For a third child this
sum is equal to five average monthly
salaries, and the monthly allowance
for a third child is equal to almost half
an average month’s salary.

Free medical care, children’s con-
sultation centres, sanatoria, prophy-
lactoria, recuperation camps are all at
the service of children. The summer
Pioneer secondary school

camps,

Bulgarian women today engage in
professions previously closed to them.
Our photo shows a scientist working at
a meteorological station on Mount
Meoussala.

Film actress Neviana Kokanova.

oe fit
Maria Athanossova, Bulgaria’ |
woman civil aviation pilot.

Ss

$
camps and holiday houses ens a
mer holidays. both for childr oth
mothers. To help working | wif
pupils’ canteens have been abel
the schools. The network of int 4
ments for public catering 1§ mt st
panded, as well as that of SHOP
ing semi-cooked foods. ani?
Women in Bulgaria receive Pt ).
at the age of 50 or 55 (men 4 a
Mothers with several childre
other privileges, too: they 1 n
sions at the age of 45, and ¢4 chal
all over the country free *soyes
These privileges are also oe
the co-operative women fae A
The care for children seat
period of the Sixth Five's
(1971-75) is to be still wide? jo75
and more thorough-going- mist
pre-school children’s estae 1540
will be able to accommoda™ |
all children from three to 0%
of age. It is planned for
children of school age tO es:
food at school by 1975, and
be semi-boarding schools 1°
them.

me nat
an important function of wy ptt
to secure equality as reg" -
relations in case of divers |
Women have been, and the
helped in their progress 7 gulf
place by the Committee oth the
Women, which is vested Tae C0
of legislative initiative. |
tee has a representative " tale oy
body of state power—t J
cil. Its representatives ¢
sessions of the Council
and exert their influence
tical implementation © ai
for equality between me thy’
so that they can be woe’
and citizens of the PeOP
of Bulgaria.