Good morning,

Your Excellency, Minister Uchral Nyam-Osor, Honored guests, Mongolian women and girls in tech, ladies and gentlemen,

It is TIME FOR CHANGE!

I am honoured to be here today to address a critical issue that affects not just women and girls but society as a whole: Gender equality and why it’s time to change the way we see it.

2023 marks the halfway point in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Gender equality is a cross-cutting issue that affects all 17 Goals, well beyond only SDG5 on Gender Equality, and any lack of progress will strongly hinder the progress towards achieving all the SDGs.

As this year’s International Women’s Day focuses on the potential of innovation and technology in reducing inequalities and closing gender gaps, the theme and objective of this conference cannot be timelier.

We need to ensure women’s full participation and decision making in innovation, technology, and digitalization can be leveraged to deliver transformative impact in society, across Mongolia and to achieve the SDGs.

On this note, I thank the Women in Tech Mongolia team led by Vicky (Enkhsaikhan) the supporting organizations, and our esteemed panel of Ambassadors.

Mongolia is making steady progress towards advancing gender equality; however, the road ahead for full realization of gender equality remains long and arduous.

Mongolia’s “Law on Promotion of Gender Equality,” “Vision-2050” and “The Cross-Sectoral Strategic Plan for Promotion of Gen¬der Equality 2022-2031” as well as the recently approved “Gender Policy for Digital Development” are all important concrete policy documents that lay a basis for empowering women and girls through establishing an enabling environment.

But we still have much work to do to ensure due implementation of existing laws, regulations, and policies, to ensure women and girls in Mongolia are benefitting fully.

Women – especially women politicians, voters, human rights and environmental defenders, activists, feminist groups, LGTBQI persons, and young women continue to face widespread discrimination and violence offline and online, unequal access to technology, finance, employment, compensation, and decision-making.

All of which are being fueled by cultural and social norms that reinforce gender stereotypes of women, and of men, significantly threatening participation of women in digital and public spaces resulting in tremendous, often irreversible harm on the mental health, wellbeing, and safety of women and girls. And shockingly, a recent study states that women are 27 times more likely to face harassment online than men!

Harassment and privacy breaches have been cited as major barriers to women’s access to digital services. Discriminatory social norms pervade many areas that prevent women’s adoption and use of digital technologies for their advancement.

Among many other substantial barriers that women and girls face in Mongolia, gender-based stereotypes are ever present, in expectations of women’s behavior, women’s appearance, women’s career choices, and women’s expected role in the household.

It is TIME FOR CHANGE!

It is time for us to collectively change our mindset, attitude, and mentality towards supporting, appreciating, and valuing women’s contribution and agency to Mongolia’s development, in politics, in the economy, in business, in the IT sector, in society at large. All of us, including and especially men and boys, need to challenge the deeply ingrained cultural and social norms that perpetuate gender-based discrimination and stereotypes against women and girls in Mongolia.

In Mongolia, women are held to higher social scrutiny than men in their personal and professional lives. Now more so than ever, we need to fight against the stereotypes that label women. We need champions for change. Both men and women. We need strong partnerships united against disparaging attitudes, mindsets, and mentalities which hold women back. We need effective advocacy tailored not just to adults, but also to youth.

As I am deeply committed to women’s empowerment and gender equality, I am saddened by how women are held back from their full potential, but at the same time deeply motivated to work to empower women in any and every way, in both professional and in personal settings. I hope that you all here today feel and act in the same way as it is up to all of us to bring about substantial and meaningful change, that not only needs to, but must happen.

It is TIME FOR CHANGE!

Technology and innovation have the potential to play a transformative role in advancing gender equality.

By using technology to promote gender-responsive policies and practices, we can create a more inclusive and equitable society. This includes promoting the use of technology to improve access to education and economic opportunities for women and girls, enhancing their participation in decision-making and leadership positions, and creating safe spaces for them to share their experiences and ideas.

We must also ensure that women are involved in developing technology, and that it is used in ways that do not perpetuate gender-based discrimination and stereotypes but creates positive change and breaks down the barriers to women’s empowerment. This requires a conscious effort to address the gender gap in the technology industry and to promote diversity and inclusivity in tech-related fields.

Women’s role in the digital economy is essential for the growth of countries, while the cost of excluding women from the digital space has deep economic impact.

Women’s role in social protection is well known, but working in paper-based, non-connected systems is cumbersome. Which is why at UNDP Mongolia with support from the Government of Japan, we empowered the social workers in Mongolia, who are mainly women, through digitalization.  This formed part of UNDP’s global effort in 82 countries to quickly adopt essential digital responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is TIME FOR CHANGE!

No society can develop and prosper – economically, politically, or socially – when half of its population, i.e. women are not able to fulfill their full potential.

Despite making up over 51% of the population in Mongolia, women make up only 17% of the Parliament and less than 30% at local governments. With only one female governor, recently appointed, in the history of Mongolia, and currently only 3 Ministers of 21 being women, Mongolia has far to go to see women’s agency and abilities effectively utilized in public sector decision making.

These numbers should and must be changed. Progress thus far has been too slow and too little. Women are still being left behind. Despite their competence and qualifications which can and do bring phenomenal benefit to Mongolia’s development.

It is a right, and not a privilege, for women to be heard and to actively contribute to the development of policies and regulations, which must respond to the needs of women and girls, as well as men and boys. Which is why we as UNDP are working actively on this key area with support from KOICA.  And with the support of Canada, we have been supporting women’s leadership in the civil service, and with the support of the European Union supporting women in the labor and employment fields. [And with the support of the International Bureau of Narcotics and Law of the US Government, we at UNDP Mongolia look forward to soon supporting women’s empowerment in law enforcement.].  And we welcome eventual future collaborations with Australia and India on women’s empowerment. And for this I would like to thank our 5 esteemed Ambassadors for joining us today.

It is TIME FOR CHANGE!

Gender inequality cannot and should not be addressed by women and girls only.

Men and boys play a crucial role in eradicating gender inequality by actively challenging and dismantling patriarchal systems and behaviors that perpetuate gender-based discrimination and violence against women and girls. This includes ensuring a balance of power and full and equal respect in personal relationships, and in the world of work, challenging gender stereotypes at every encounter, advocating for and being active allies of women's rights and empowerment.

It's TIME FOR A CHANGE, for a radical shift in our attitudes, mindset, and mentalities towards women and girls.

Now is the time.  We must make gender equality a reality now, and not in 300 years, as the latest UN Women report indicates gender equality might only be achieved.

Let us not only talk about gender equality but let us take bold and decisive actions to empower women and girls, create safe spaces for them, in particular online, foster opportunities for women and girls to pursue any career they wish, and actively promote their participation in decision-making and leadership roles.

At last, Dear Mongolian women and girls in tech,

You are incredible!  You are amazing! You are the strength of Mongolia; you are the future of Mongolia.

Though there may be obstacles in your path, don’t be discouraged. Use them as steppingstones to leap forward on your path. Believe in yourself and your abilities, don’t be afraid to take risks, learn from every opportunity.

Don’t let fear or self-doubt hold you back. Embrace your strengths and your passions and let them guide you towards your goals.

As women, after all, you, and we, can do anything and everything we set our minds too.

Wishing you all a very, Happy International Women’s Day!  And fruitful discussions throughout the day.

Thank you.