b'Womens Empowerment through Water,Above: Handwashing Event Sanitation and Health (WeWash), Bulgaria A change in attitude is visible; women understand they have rights to water, and have learned how Location: Sulitsa,to claim these rights; becoming voices within Hristiyanovo, andtheir community. Some women have also gained Kalitinovo, Stara Zagora District, Bulgaria.plumbing skills, and set up their own businesses. Duration: 1 May 2018 Mariet Verhoef-Cohen30 November 2019ContextIn Europe, access to safely managed sanitationBulgaria strives to meet EU requirements services remains a challenge in manyfor water and sanitation, however, in many countries, particularly in rural areas of Easternareas, water closets are unaffordable, similarly Europe, and furthermore, many in Westernfor both central sewerage, and conventional and Central Europe face inequitable accesswastewater treatment plants. Particularly in to water and sanitation services. Bulgaria,rural communities there is limited financial and situated in Southeastern Europe, has around 6.3human resource, and people dependent on million inhabitants, and joined the Europeanwater resources, are challenged by vast seasonal Union (EU) in 2007. With one of the highestvariations, and highly vulnerable to the effects unemployment rates in Europe, particularlyof climate change. Within rural areas, many for youth, Bulgaria additionally has the highestwomen and girls are without jobs whilst others child mortality rate, and poverty rate, includinghave never been employed. Older women, poverty amongst children. Permanentlyhaving often migrated from costly cities to rural represented in the bottom six of the leastlocations to make a new life, find themselves developed EU regions, every year, many youngfacing retirement on minimal pensions, reliant Bulgarians migrate to Sofia, or further afield toon subsistence farming for food. Many become find work, and since 1989 the population hasisolated, some widowed, with children moving reduced by more than 30%, with the Bulgarianaway in search of a better life. diaspora standing at more than three million. soroptimistinternational.org 12'