Women in Bulgaria refers to women who live in and are from Bulgaria. Women's position in Bulgarian society has been influenced by a variety of cultures and ideologies, including the Byzantine and Ottoman cultures, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, communist ideology, and contemporary globalized Western values. Emancipation While Bulgaria is often described as a patriarchal society, women do have substantial authority in household budgeting or agricultural decision making. Both men and women have the right to vote and own property. In part due to decades of socialist ideology of gender equality (when representation of women in STEM sector was fostered) but also because the intellectual contribution of women is traditionally valued, Bulgaria boasts the highest representation of women in the IT sector. Women remain responsible for most household chores and represent more than half the registered unemployed...