Bulgaria's Leadership Gap: Why Only 16% of Top Roles Are Held by Women

In Bulgaria, while women excel in middle management roles, only 16 percent occupy senior management positions, as reported by the National Statistical Institute. This stark gender disparity underscores a broader European directive requiring at least 30 percent of management roles to be held by women, a mandate Bulgaria aims to implement by year-end.

Lidiya Shuleva, managing partner at Business Intellect and a member of Bulgaria's Council of Women in Business, highlighted these issues at the Next Level HR 2024 forum in Sofia. She emphasized the importance of appointing qualified women to leadership positions on equal footing, debunking misconceptions that women are promoted solely during crises and replaced thereafter by men.

Reflecting on her own journey as a former Minister of Social Policy, Shuleva acknowledged her initial skepticism towards quotas but recognized their necessity in dismantling the glass ceiling faced by many women in Bulgaria. The Council of Women in Business focuses particularly on challenges related to childcare and workplace flexibility, critiquing recent legislation equating remote work with domestic chores.

Rumyana Boseva, managing partner at ARS Bulgaria, echoed concerns about Bulgaria's competitive labor market dynamics, where employers often hold the upper hand in hiring practices. She stressed that while wages can't endlessly rise, employee motivation hinges increasingly on benefits and a supportive workplace environment.