Fragmentary statistics at the national level indicate that one in three women in Bulgaria has suffered some form of violence. This Handbook has been developed within the SHE initiative, which aims to support the fight against domestic violence in Bulgaria, contributing to better and more effective protection of victims' rights. It is designed for training aimed at enhancing the capacity of human resource professionals in public administration by building their skills to identify, refer and support victims of violence. It is these professionals who have the ability to directly and most successfully identify and provide resources to victims of violence they may encounter in their daily work, thus becoming involved in countering this serious social problem.

The handbook provides practical guidance on how professionals can identify every third woman, how to talk to her, which institution to refer her to, how to help her integrate back into a life free of violence, and more. The publication provides both theoretical information on domestic and gender-based violence and practical guidance on communicating with potential victims, real resources for getting help, and recommendations for successful identification, referral and support.