In the summer of 2025, Zangador Research Institute conducted Bulgaria’s first study on public attitudes toward sexism, commissioned by the Bulgarian Platform of the European Women’s Lobby (EWL). The research marks a milestone in understanding how Bulgarians perceive, interpret, and respond to different forms of sexism in everyday life, the media, the workplace, and politics.

The results were presented by Prof. Stanislav Ivanov, director of Zangador Research Institute and co‑author of the study, during a series of public discussions and a dedicated webinar titled “Attitudes of Bulgarians Toward Sexism: What Do the Data Show?” held on 24 October 2025. The strong partnership between Zangador and the EWL ensured a rigorous research process and a meaningful public dialogue on the findings.

The study reveals several important insights:

• Hostile sexism is still widely recognised but often underestimated as a societal problem.
• Benevolent sexism—perceived as “polite” or “protective” behaviour—remains largely unnoticed, despite reinforcing gender stereotypes and inequality.
• A significant share of respondents believe that sexist jokes are harmless, indicating low awareness of how everyday language normalises discrimination.

These findings highlight the need for broader public education and stronger institutional measures to address sexism in all its forms.

The full report is available on the website of the Bulgarian Platform of the European Women’s Lobby