Women and Transition Period in Bulgaria

In 1989 the Berlin Wall - the symbol of the Cold War - fell down, communist regimes in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe fell from power, and the so called transition period began. People’s lives changed dramatically. At the beginning there was a lot of enthusiasm, then lots of people felt dispair, we were debating every day, we were going to demonstrations and marches, we were getting poor, others were getting very rich, and life was going on. Some were making careers, starting businesses, others were losing their homes, and life was going on. Some were singing about their ideals, others were washing dirty money and life was going on.

1. In what ways has your life changed?

E.G. 42 years old: A lot! So many things happened that now teenagers can hardly believe that we used to live so bad. Now we have choice, we can travel freely, we do not teach our children not to say what they think.

M.S., 64 years old: My life changed in many ways. Spiritually I feel enriched and liberated, but in terms of everyday life - I have got poorer and I feel depressed.

M.Y., 40 years old: I have entered another decade. The rhythm of my life quickened a lot. I have started to accept challenges and survival easier in a world that is changing all the time. I am trying to become wiser on the road: "From illusions to reality".

B.P., 47: As I was working at an enterprise, created and functioning in the conditions of the socialist division of labour, my work decreased, I was dismissed, I changed jobs several times and I was changing my qualification.

T.G. 50: For some things it changed for good, and for others - for bad.

2. How did you use to live at the time of the socialism?

Е.G.: Not freely, lacking variety, without perspectives, poor.

М.S.: I was relatively insured in terms of financial circumstances at the time of communism - I had a permanent job with a modest salary, with social/pension and mediacal insurance. However, I did not have the right and freedom to express my own thoughts, ideas, initiatives. I was living in certain frames, with restrictions and dictate from outside, without any right of personal expression, with constant fears about the future and with the feeling of defencelessness.

М.Y.: In a closed world, but in a cleaner city and with more time for myself and for my friends who I love.

B.P.: With the "equal" salaries I lived poorer but peacefully. I had a job, I managed to do the housework, the office duties and to take care of the children.

T.G.: I lived with much more security, without fear about my children, property and healthcare.

3. How do you live now?

Е.G.: Normally. Life is changing very dynamically and we must react properly to this dynamics and we must make quick decisions. Certainly, we had greater expectations, but human mentality is hard to change.

М.S.: At present I feel better because of the freedom of speech and thoughts, the opportunity to get information from different free sources, I keep the faith in the democratic changes. However, I hardly make the both ends meet and I fear the constant rise in the cost of living. I feel unprotected at this uncontrollable and unpunished criminality, at bureaucracy.

М.Y.: I feel living in a more open world - with more opportunities, challenges and information, but more lonely and strenuous.

B.P.: My financial circumstances are better, but the stress and insecurity are greater.

T.G.: I live with a big doze uncertainty. For example, without connections you cannot find work, especially on my age. As well, even when you pay more for something, you do not have guarantee on its quality - whether healthcare, whether a holiday or buying something from the market. It was different before.

4. What are your expectations from the future?

Е.G.:More lawfulness and order, more opportunities for the realisation of our children and higher standard of living.

М.S.: At a great extent the transition imitates changes - in depth the old system stays untouched. I hope that step by step with the efforts of people life will get nearer to the high standards in Europe and the rules of developed democracies will start to work here.

М.Y.: Contradictory, but with a little hope that our children will have more opportunities to choose.

B.P.: I hope that conditions for business will get better and young qualified people will realise at the label market. Personally - uncertainty about future employment.

T.G.: I am afraid for the spoiled values given to children who grew up in the transition years. They have become too commercial and consumative.

5. Do you think the state takes care of women and mothers adequately?

Е.G.:No, I think present statesmen do nothing to encourage birth-rate `in a country with negative growth of the population) and they do not take care of women and mothers.

М.S.: The state in the past and now imitates concern about the situation of women, mothers and children. In reality they can achieve something only if they rely on themselves.

М.Y.:Definitely no.

B.P.: The state does not take care enough. More flexible forms of employment must be encouraged /part-time employment/. Trainings must be offered to women after maternity leave and women over the age of 50-55, improvement of social services, including child services, etc.

T.G.: No, deffinitely! The directors and politicians are interested only for their profit. This is the reason why the nowadays budgets do not help to the moders.

6. Do you think the role and life of women in society are differnet from men’s ones?

Е.G.:Being a mother a woman plays more important role in society and this makes her life harder, but it is not easy for men too.

М.S.: It is not different for men and women, but women have to work additionally for their domestic and family responsibilities.

М.Y.: Yes. I think women must concentrate more on values, already forgotten in Bulgaria, like family, development of children and charity.

B.P.: In our society women play the main role at bringing up the children and they are additionally relied on to work and help with family budgets. So, the state must take greater care of women-mothers even financially (social services, additional qualification).

T.G: Yes. It must be more different on theory, and in practice. Women are different from men. Unfortunately in Bulgaria, for a woman to get a professional promotion and to make a career, she needs to make 3 times more efforts compared to men. This is something I do not accept.

7. If you could, would you go back in time?

Е.G.:No, I would not..

М.S.: If I could choose, I would not go back to the past - the other way round. I fell happy I lived in the years of transition and I witnessed and participated in historic changes in our country. I am sure that the fruit of change will be eaten by people from future generations. I am sorry that the change is being realised so slowly and painfully, that it requires the sacrifice of a whole generation, that in stead of courage and hope people feel disapointment. However, I do not think that "the good old time" is better than the future that we are striving for.

М.Y.: Definitely, but two centuries ago.

B.P.: I would not go back. There is more freedom now and there are more opportunities for educated and up-and-doing people.

T.G.: No. Each person has their destiny and cannot go otherway. If one has lived in harmony in life, one does not need to go back in life.

8. Do you think some old period is better than the present?

Е.G.:Yes, the time before the communist revolution in 1944.

М.Y.: Yes - when you were happy and in love and all the life was in the future.

T.G.: Yes, when I was younger, and respectively stronger, healthier, and when life was in front of me.

Thank you!