Hundreds of people protested in central Sofia on Thursday evening against violence against women on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The organizers of the rally demand adequate policies aimed at preventing gender-based violence. They also called for the construction of women’s crisis centers in all Bulgarian districts.

“We want to send a clear message to the institutions that it is high time they adopted a contemporary legislative framework that guarantees the necessary protection for all vulnerable groups”, protesters said. They will send an open letter to President Rumen Radev and the future government to demand urgent measures to fight violence against women.