Birth Stories, Public Voice
WomanUp Foundation
Bulgaria
Birth Stories, Public Voice is a participatory socio-cultural initiative led by WomanUp Foundation in partnership with Youth Center Vratsa. The project creates a safe community space where Roma and local women can share their experiences of pregnancy, childbirth and life with a child through storytelling circles and creative workshops. Participants will transform personal testimonies of violation and bravery into artistic outputs such as short texts, audio fragments, and visual stories. These will be presented during a public cultural event and distributed to hospitals in the region.
Birth Stories, Public Voice is a participatory socio-cultural initiative led by WomanUp Foundation in partnership with Youth Center Vratsa that creates space for Roma and local women to transform personal experiences of pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood into collective civic expression. As per our research since 2023, women in Bulgaria report experiences of disrespect, discrimination, and lack of information during maternity care, particularly young mothers, Roma women, and women from smaller communities. The project will create a safe community space where these experiences can be shared, reflected upon, and transformed into cultural expression. Between June and September 2026, the project will organise three story circles with 10–12 women each, bringing together young mothers, Roma women, and local community members in Vratsa. Participants will share their experiences and reflect on dignity, care, and communication in maternal healthcare. During a creative co-creation workshop, participants and facilitators will transform selected testimonies into 10–15 artistic outputs, including illustrated story posters, short texts, and audio fragments, presented in a public exhibition.