Mongolian Women's Fund, Ulaanbaatar, Monogolia
"Mongolian women and mothers have contributed their enormous strength, valuable talent, intellect and capability to the social development of Mongolia."
– N. Chinchuluun, Head of the Mongolian Women's Fund
From sunrise to sunset, the women herders in remote rural areas of Mongolia labor to complete their daily tasks: tending, milking and feeding horses, completing domestic chores and child rearing. The herder's life is difficult, but families once survived on the fruits of their hard work. Not so in the "new" post-Soviet economy. Livelihoods have succumbed in rural areas to an extended drought and the drying up of national coffers that once subsidized agriculture. In urban areas many women have lost both jobs and status to age and gender discrimination.
Enter the Mongolian Women's Fund (MWF). Established in July 2000 out of the momentum generated by the Mongolian women's movement of the '90s, the MWF raises money to distribute to women's groups that are overcoming discrimination against women in a wide variety of ways. A 2001 government survey revealed that women were directly refused jobs either because they were too old, too young, had children – or simply because of their gender. The MWF is poised to challenge many monumental obstacles related to blatant inequality in employers' behavior toward women.
Women fortunate enough to obtain employment frequently face verbal and physical harassment or rape. MWF is committed to preventing such abuse. This year, the Fund sponsored a contest against sexual harassment in the workplace. It invited women's human rights organizations to put forward proposals on how they would campaign against sexual harassment if given the resources. Two groups won $800 in grants for bold, media-savvy plans to educate the public about the negative effects of harassment on women's productivity and emotional health. A one-hour TV program, "Behind the Door," coupled with other TV and radio shows, have targeted the general public with messages about the problems of sexual harassment.
In addition, the award-winning women's organizations have engaged politicians, company directors, international donor agencies and ambassadors in their anti-harassment campaign. The groups teach ways to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, provide support to the many victims of harassment, and offer a program to train professionals to re-educate employers about the consequences of permitting sexual perpetrators to go unchecked.
This campaign is only one of many innovations that the Mongolian Women's Fund has carried out to empower women throughout the country. For the Global Fund for Women, awarding more than $50,000 in grants to the MWF since its founding is a sure investment. Supporting the Fund in building organizational capacity and fostering both traditional and new forms of philanthropy will guarantee that women's rights are defended and advanced throughout Mongolia over the next decade. 