Mongolian Diary

Finding our Feet

We have been here for a full 24 hours now and feel a bit more settled after a good night's sleep. Yesterday we were taken out for a traditional Mongolian meal which included hot salty tea with fat and milk (surprisingly good actually - more like broth than tea), fried pancakes with liver pate, and what can only be described as a deep fried cornish pasty. The meal was very welcome, following our previous two day diet of airline food and sandwiches at Moscow airport! Getting to the restaurant was an adventure in itself - slipping and sliding along the darkened pavement and then stepping out into the road to hail a passing car. Many private cars operate as taxis, although there are a couple of 'official' taxi services but it is generally okay just to wave down cars from the side of the road. Our Mongolian host thought it quite funny that I almost lost my footing at one point! I am certain to disgrace myself at some point during the week! I'll let you know if I win the 'falling on backside' event for the UK.

There are a number of interesting connections to make between the macro economic position in Mongolia and the micro level inter-personal dynamics. The post-socialist changes in Mongolian society have, on the one hand, extended women's civil rights and freedoms, opening up work opportunities and participation in democratic processes but, on the other hand, broader economic forces mean that women predominantly bear the brunt of the depressed economy, unemployment and poverty. These changes also affect general gendered roles within society and so we perhaps should not be surprised to learn that domestic violence emerges as a real social problem. Many NGOs are working on the issue of violence against women, to get it onto the public and political agenda but they also have to deal with a cultural reluctance to talk about domestic and sexual violence, as they are behaviours which are constructed through a discourse of shame.

Today we will have the opportunity to discuss these issues further with a number of NGOs. Our first visit is to the CEDAW Watch Network - an organisation which monitors the progress of the Mongolian state in eliminating discrimination against women. A key question we will hope to explore today is where 'violence against women' stands in the priorities given to CEDAW in Mongolia.

posted by Helen J @ 9:33 AM