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Michelle Tolson – WNN MDG Stories
MONGOLIA
- PROGRESS FOR WOMEN - CHALLENGES CONTINUE
(WNN/UBP) Ulaanbaatar, MONGOLIA: Thanks to the vast mineral wealth
inside the region,
But according to the latest country report from the UNDP
– United Nations Development Programme, inequality in the region is holding
back some of the progress that can be made. When ‘inequality’ is placed as an
indicator inside the country’s Human Development Index,
Empowering women in the region may be a complex issue but advocates are working to do just that. While gender equality can be mapped through UN Millennium Goal number 3 through women in politics, women’s education and women’s economic earnings, statistics show that women have now begun to receive more education than their male counterparts in the region. Today the push to educate women and girls is on as male members of the family are often expected to work in the fields instead of staying in school. Women, on the other hand, are now going to college 60-70 percent more than men.
But women are still at a disadvantage in the region. Why?
In spite of increases in education, Mongolian women are still earning much less than their male counterparts. They have also had historically an unsteady and low political representation inside the region. But the open room for women in politics is now changing for the better.
Before recent 2012 elections, political representation for women in
This suddenly tripled women’s political leadership with participation in
Women as political representatives for their region was also 12 percent 10 years ago, but the numbers of women in office sharply declined by 2008 to 3.9 percent. To reach the Millennium Development Goals for gender equality, 30 percent of the Mongolian government must be made up of women decision makers in government.
“Women politicians clearly made important gains,” outlined the Asia
Pacific Memo, published by the
The UN Millennium Development Goal to empower women is not an easy one though. The current global average for women in government is now only 19.7 percent.
Ten Years Ago in
“It was always hard for women to come out [politically],” reminds newly
elected woman Member of Parliament (MP) Ms. Luvsan Erdenechimeg of the
Democratic Party in
Sharing the years of struggle and experience with MP Ms. Tsedevdamba
Oyungerel, who is also from
MP Oyungerel agreed. “Oh, it’s improved a lot. The mentality of the people has improved. Before it was, ‘what are you doing in politics?’ You were a helper only, but now you are seen as a decision maker, especially in my party.”
The Democratic Party in
After winning Parliamentary seats in the most recent Mongolian election, the 9 women winners, who are representing the Democratic Party, Mongolian People’s Party, Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party and the Civil Will Green Party, decided to form an informal political group called the Women’s Caucus in late July. MP Erdenechimeg was chosen as the representative for the first year.
The women’s decision to form the Caucus is based on consolidating a vision of shared ideas and values, and also as a means of connecting with civil society, said the Caucus during a recent press conference in late July 2012.
MP Erdenechimeg explained that although they come from different political parties, all members of the Women’s Caucus did experience difficulties in politics and can relate to each other as being “independent, fighting [for] women’s rights, children’s’ rights.”
The issues the women MPs are now hoping to improve as they dive into action include: creating more public hospitals that can serve women and their families, expanding educational programs by building new schools, helping to bring greater economic success and freedom to women and tightening down on political corruption inside Mongolia.
The New Women’s Caucus
On the behalf of the Women’s Caucus, MP Erdenechimeg visited all the
maternity hospitals in her region in
Today it is estimated that half the women that come to the hospital
in Erdenechimeg’s district are turned away when they need medical
attention the most, at the moment they are due to deliver their baby. Although
improvements are being made throughout the region through the increased use of
medical technology a deepening concern for Mongolia’s expanding population, due
to immigration, is what MP Erdenechimeg conveys is ‘an urgent’ issue.
Kindergarten classrooms in the outer districts of
When asked why this issue was not addressed by the previous parliaments, the MP stated that it is not considered ‘a man’s issue.’ “Male MPs don’t spend time around these [public] kindergartens,” conveyed MP Erdenechimeg. “They put their children in private kindergartens so they don’t see the problem.” Traditionally men focus on what are considered ‘the big issues,’ like mining and national infrastructure.
Last year 21,000 MNT ($15.40 USD) was allotted per person from
In late August 2012 MP Erdenechimeg visited more than 30 kindergartens to help assess the needs in the region.
Gender Equality and ‘Women’s Work’
While many of the job positions do pay men and women equally for the same
job, many women tend to hold lower-paid positions outlined MP Oyungeral. Where
less men and more women are generally involved in a specific career in
The National Law on Gender Equality in
Having more men in the two sectors could possibly help raise the salaries as men’s participation has been low and funding has as well, pointed out MP Erdenechimeg.
“Many people have little understanding of gender equality,” says Ms. Undarya Tumursukh, the National Coordinator for FEMNET Mongolia (MONFEMNET), an organization dedicated to bring equality to women worldwide.
“That women constitute a larger percentage among teachers does not necessarily amount to women having dominance in the sector – but that is how it is often said,” she added. “Are male teachers losing out by not being teachers? No. Are women? Often yes, as this is a very underpaid sector if we look at kindergarten and secondary school teachers. Still, as ranks go up, there are more men. In the lowest paid – mostly [are] women. But of course balance would be good, it is better to have gender parity among teachers, as that may help improve situation in the sector – men are more likely to raise [their] voice about low salaries while it is easier to exploit women due to cultural conditions. So if more men come in, perhaps teachers’ advocacy for better conditions will grow stronger, but it is not an automatic process,” Tumursukh continued.
Otgonbaatar Tsedendemberel, Executive Director of the LGBT Centre, an
organization inside
“As for the Gender Equality Law, I think that the law enforcement is a key
problem,” stresses Tsendendemberel. “People’s understanding of gender issues at
all levels, be it law enforcement officials or [the] general public, is almost
non-existent,” she added. “In
In September, the UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund will sponsor a forum for gender equality with MONFEMNET along with the National Committee on Gender Equality. Information about the National Law on Gender Equality will also be advertised on local Mongolian TV stations to help educate the public.
Moving Away from Corruption
“All nine women [Parliamentarians] felt that the Mongolian political system
is too corrupt,” stressed MP Erdenechimeg. Paying bribes is common for those
doing business in
Khangal, a local woman business retailer that sells products for young
children agrees. She is happy that more women were elected to
Agreeing with the others that corruption in
“I think they [the Women's Caucus] are starting from a really good place,”
said a Mongolian grandmother, who did not give her name, and who also helped
vote women into
“I really appreciate the group…,” says Zola Batkhuyag, General Coordinator
for Young Women for Change in
Like the other women, Batkhuyag too feels hopeful that
As agents of change the female MPs seem as much affected by quotas for women in parliament as their constituents are. Forming the Women’s Caucus not only furthers the goals of their constituents, but also amplifies their own power as women as well.
“This is an important time for women in politics as there are now three ministers and nine MPs who are women,” outlined Mongolian Member of Parliament Ms. Luvsan Erdenechimeg.