Professional activity of Bulgarian women during the period 1946-1984
Lazarova, F.
Naselenie 5(2): 36-47
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0205-0617 PMID: 12341562 Document Number: 350990
The role of women in socialist Bulgaria is discussed with special emphasis on the changes in educational level and professional activity. In capitalist Bulgaria (prior to 1946), the vast majority of women (up to 90%) worked in textile, food or tobacco industry. Only 1.3% of women had a college degree. Socialist revolution in the post World War II Bulgaria gave women equal rights to employment and education. During the period of 1946-1975, there was a 14-fold increase in the number of women engaged in skilled labor. The number of women with college degrees showed progressive increases from 21.4% in 1956 to 47.7% in 1983. In 1977, 40.1% of research personnel and 31.9% of engineers were women. In 1965, approximately 75% of women in the 16-54 year age group were married; 81.3% of married women have been working. The number of married women with at least a high school diploma showed increases from 27.7% in 1965 to 37.7% in 1975, while the number of married women with vocational education increased from 4.7% to 12.4%. At the same time, the birth rate in working women showed a decrease from 2.03 in 1965 to 1.88 in 1975.