Women in Bulgaria of men and women in family law. This is explicitly stipulated in the Family Code, Art 2, which defines seven principles of family relations, one of which is "equality between the man and the woman". This is reinforced at Art 13, titled, "Equality between spouses" which states: "The spouses shall have equal rights and obligations in the matrimony." Despite legal equality, societal norms of the Balkan culture often consider the wife to be in a position of subordination to the husband. Bulgaria is part of the paradox of many Eastern European societies: a long tradition of involvement of women in
Women in the military in Europe those of men. Nonetheless, women are still not permitted to join the field combat units or to be aboard the submarines of the French navy. Valérie André, a neurosurgeon, became the first woman in France to attain the rank of three-star general as Médecin Général Inspecteur. A veteran of the French Resistance, she served overseas in Indochina. During that period, she learned how to pilot a helicopter so that she could reach wounded soldiers who were trapped in the jungle. André is the first woman to have flown a helicopter in combat. She received many decorations for her achievements, including