Center for Sustainable Communities Development is an independent, non-governmental organization in public benefit, founded in 1994 by active professional women. It has won recognition as an Advocacy group working to:
- raise Bulgarian society awareness of gender equality issues;
- raise civil society intolerance of violence against women at home and in workplace;
- change the legislation to protect women and children victims of domestic violence;
- educate children and young people in human rights and the national and international regulations guaranteeing those rights;
- get media involved in gender issues discussions;
- acquire successful practices of foreign NGOs and adapt them professionally to the Bulgarian reality;
- promote and encourage women in starting-up their own business;
- achieve more active women's participation in politics and decision-making, and create a national women's lobby;
CSCD is a co-founder of the Bulgarian Platform on International Development (BPID). In period 2001 - May 2005 CSCD Director was adopted as a voluntary Member of the Civil Council to the Bulgarian Parliamentarian Committee on Civil Society Issues. She is also an Advisor for the Global Fund for Women, San Francisco, USA since May 2001.
Since June 2005 Center for Sustainable Communities Development has been a member of the National Council on Gender Equality to the Council of Ministries of Bulgaria.
CSCD works in partnership with local and central government structures. Our partners in various projects include the Commission for the Protection of Competition, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Education for Everyone Association, Gender Education, Research and Technology Foundation and others. We work in partnership with many universities in the country also.
Website: www.cscd-bg.org