Different Views
Friday was a very interesting a busy day. I didn't even get chance to look at my watch until 9pm!We started the day with a meeting with the Mongolian Women's Federation. The president, Chigme, had arranged a meeting with the police and women's prison director. Neither spoke much English and as our Mongolian only extends to saying hello (how clever are we!) Chigme interpreted. At times this was quite odd as the prison director would talk for about 4 minutes and it would be translated as 'she agrees'. Anyway, very fruitful meetings and each provided us with an insight into how domestic violence is managed within the criminal justice system.
The afternoon took in the other side of the coin. We visited with the National Centre Against Violence - the organisation that runs the only refuges in Mongolia (one in Ulaanbaatar and a small shelter house in the south of the country). If my friend Julie is reading this, she will know what I mean when I say that they were 'our' sort of feminists. Wonderful women and it took about half an hour of our formal presentation for them to see that we were 'their' sort of women. We had a fascinating meeting in which we explored similar problems and issues shared between Mongolia and the UK in relation to the CJS and supporting women out of DV. Then we were taken to visit the shelter (refuge). Anyone familiar with refuges in the UK in the 1980s would not have been surprised by the standard and condition of the accommodation. For anyone unused to refuges, this would come as a difficult situation to comprehend. In three bedrooms, 18 women and 15 children eat and sleep - mothers sharing their beds with children. There is one toilet and one bath: one tiny wardrobe and one food cupboard - with no signs of food in it. This is the only refuge for women in Ulaanbaatar. They receive 3millionTg per year from their government to cover core costs - the equivalent of $3,000.
We had a great conversation with the refuge staff - who were no different from refuge staff in the UK - full of hope, compassion and committment but low on resources and energy. They have been open for 10 years and cannot cope with the demand. They are hopeful that the new Domestic Violence legislation, with its promise of more shelter places, will help to improve the situation but at the same time they are practical in their expectations. These are great women working against incredible odds - a real inspiration: http://www.ncav.org/en/index.php
posted by Helen J @ 6:04 PM
3 Comments:
Your friend Julie IS reading this. Sounds like you are having a very interesting time. Good job you have never been too fussy about your food and that you have never been "too lazy to chew" to quote Dave.
Keep up the good work Helen. It's a really weird concept that your thoughts and ideas that originated over here are reaching such far flung places. I am looking forward to discussing if there are any differences in the way male violence towards women and children manifests itself in such a different culture to ours. I suspect same shit different country.
Look after yourselves
Julie
Hi Helen and Shani,
Sounds to me that you are having far too interesting a time! How does it feel to be a 'senior person' Shani? No really, obviously a mammoth adventure in all kinds of ways but don't think you will be keeping it all to yourself when you return. Full presentation for ICGC looks on the cards when you get back! Take lots of care. Sandra
Sorry our phone call got cut off ;-( either you're out of credit or a big yak got in the way of the signal. Still, it's amazing we've been able to talk to each other on our mobiles (or handies as they say in Mongolia) but we still can't get Sky TV!!! Never mind.
Can't wait to hear the 'throat music' (?) CD.
Try a text again when you get up.
David.xxx
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