site.btaAgency for Bulgarians Abroad to Present Bulgarian Woman of the Year Award Oct. 18

Interviewed by BTA's Anzhela Georgieva, Rayna Mandzhukova, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, said every nominee for the Bulgarian Woman of the Year St Zlata of Meglen Award is deemed worthy of it by her nominators. The 2023 award - the Bulgarian Woman of the Year statuette -  will be given on October 18 at the University of National and World Economy.

For the first time this year, six women prominent in various fields will be honoured.

"This year we received 24 nominations from 19 countries. It was really difficult to choose just one, because there are Bulgarian women with a really great contribution, so for the first time since the award was instituted, we will not have a Bulgarian Woman of the Year and runners-up. We have chosen six Bulgarian women who will receive awards for their contribution and one of them will get the Bulgarian Woman of the Year Award," said Raina Mandzhukova.

Two women were nominated posthumously. "It has never happened before, but this year the nominators asked us, and we decided that the contribution has no statute of limitations, so we will also present two posthumous awards to relatives of the nominees," Mandzhukova said.

In 2009, St Zlata of Meglen was named the patron saint of Bulgarians abroad on a proposal by history professor Plamen Pavlov. The then State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad instituted the Bulgarian Woman of the Year Award and first presented it in 2010.