Mongolian Women’s Fund

Securing State Investment in Awareness Raising on Domestic Violence in Schools

One in three women in Mongolia experiences domestic violence, with women in low-income rural families particularly vulnerable. The 2004 Law to Combat Domestic Violence requires local authorities to develop and fund programmes for the prevention of domestic violence. However, implementation of the Law remains weak. While Local Crime Prevention Councils are authorized to identify crimes that are prevalent in their areas and allocate funds for crime prevention activities, funding for activities aimed at ending violence against women remains low or non-existent.

The programme will work with Local Councils in Dornod Province and Baganuur District to fund awareness raising programs in schools through the Local Crime Prevention Council budget. Key activities include a school-based intervention in selected high schools, awareness-raising of Local Crime Prevention Councils to recognize violence against women as a crime that must be addressed, and the empowerment of grassroots women’s groups to advocate for and monitor the local budgets through a partnership with elected female representatives. If successful, the programme’s model could be applied to other provinces across Mongolia.