Ulaanbaatar
New U.S. government project to strengthen women and youth engagement in Mongolia
Politics
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The U.S. government today announced
the launch of the Strengthening Women and Youth Engagement in the
Electoral and Political Processes in
Mongolia project that will elevate the role of women and youth in civil society
and the political process.
Implemented in partnership with the International Republican Institute (IRI), together with the Asia Foundation (TAF) and a broad network of Mongolian civil society organizations, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) three-year democracy and governance initiative will focus on fostering citizen engagement in Mongolia’s pre-election period and supporting the Mongolian government’s efforts to promote constituent-responsive governance and political accountability during the post-election period. The project will support a range of civil society-led civic engagement activities including nationwide voter education campaigns, get-out-the-vote initiatives, youth and women policy networking events, and technical support for activists and journalists.
“Mongolia is a democracy that is home to dynamic young
people and strong women leaders,” said U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Michael
Klecheski. “We are honored to support their civic engagement as we work toward
our shared goals of advancing peace, democracy, and prosperity for Mongolia and
for the broader Indo-Pacific region.”
IRI and TAF will work with the Voter Education Center,
Zorig Foundation, and Women for Change on a series of voter education campaigns
to provide reliable voter information to the public. Through a series of
interactive online events, IRI will collaborate with the Liberal Women’s Brain
Pool to support youth and women political engagement through non-partisan
deliberation on political priorities as well as obstacles to inclusivity and
accountability.
The project will coordinate with the Youth Policy Watch to
organize a series of events to engage voters and raise awareness of key youth
and women policy issues. It will also partner with Women for Change on a series
of online advocacy training workshops and supporting Mongolia’s free press and
journalists in partnership with the Globe International Center.
“Only an inclusive and responsive democracy can meet the needs of its citizens,” said Craig Castagna, IRI’s Resident Program Director for Mongolia. “IRI is proud to be working alongside USAID, the Asia Foundation, and our local partners to elevate women and youth voices and support more inclusive civic engagement.”
Source:
U.S. Embassy in Mongolia
