Welcome to the website of
Okrilena Foundation
the first educational portal about gender equality and domestic violence in Bulgaria
Who are we?
"Okrilena" is a non-governmental organization founded to fight for gender equality through media campaigns aimed at young people. Our mission is dedicated to bringing gender equality to all aspects of our daily life. The Foundation works on numerous educational and social initiatives related to the personal and professional development of Bulgarian women. With its projects, "Okrilena" seeks to educate and demosntrate how equality enriches the Bulgarian society. We aim to "protect" young women and girls through education and information sharing, giving them the opportunity to be more familiar with topics considered taboo or difficult to talk about and to inspire them to achieve their goals.
"Okrilena" organizes campaigns together with foundations and associations that fight domestic violence, in order to support crisis centers for victims of violence. "Okrilena"'s activities increase the level of public engagement on the topic of equality by targeting not only women but also men.
Why now?
The patriarchal structure of Bulgarian society predisposes Bulgarian families to dysfunctional relationships, which often lead to domestic violence (from men to women and vice versa). Violence is classified as both physical and mental. There is an unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities and, accordingly, a lack of dialogue and harmony between couples. In Bulgaria, the "slap" is still considered an educational measure, not a violent one. When in a bad mood, women are often mocked and asked "Are you on your period again?" Every problem is complex and there are multiple points of view, and in order to avoid pointing the finger and naming a universal culprit, we at "Okrilena" have decided to take a positive approach to the problem. The idea of this campaign is to present in a positive way the equality of men and women.
Why "Okrilena"?
The topic of female empowerment is not just a "women's rights movement." In Bulgaria, women have rights, but what we think is missing is empowerment. In Bulgarian "empowered" translates as "entitled" or "authorized". Both words have a negative connotation in the context of the struggle for equality and do not accurately describe the idea of an empowered woman. To stimulate dialogue on equality, we decided to use the linguistic term "okrilena" in order to describe our mission. It is a beautiful Bulgarian word, meaning "winged".
The media for "Okrilena"
Jeni Vucheva from the Okrilena Foundation: "I am inspired by the causes and the feeling that what we do makes a difference"
In an interview with Katerina Vasileva , Jenny talks about the causes and work with meaning that led her to create "Okrilena". The interview reveals the challenges feminism faces in Bulgaria and where the key to tackling domestic violence lies. The interview also touches upon why the founders of Okrilena decided to base the foundation as an all-digital information platform.
For the interview, click on the photo.
Sofia, Bulgaria
Vacant positions
We are looking for enthusiastic people who are excited about the cause and would like to join our team!
Social Media Enthusiast
We are looking for a person to write short texts about our social media channels, to share stories and to look for materials (accounts / articles to share).
Blog post writer
The topics we discuss on social media can be developed into longer articles. We are looking for a person with experience in writing in Bulgarian.
Project Manager
The Foundation's activities revolve around media projects and collaborations. Our team has room for more people with ideas for collaborations with various organizations and brands.
