In 2014, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) adopted the very first sectoral gender strategy in Mongolia, called Environmental Sector Gender Strategy (2014-2030). The Strategy aims to provide support to the Green Development Agenda of Mongolia based on different needs of women and men by ensuring equal opportunities for participation and equal access to benefits in environmental sector. The strategy is designed to serve as a guiding framework for partners and key stakeholders to work together to reach a common understanding on gender equality framework, build necessary capacities on gender analysis as well as conduct gender-specific research.

The first phase of the Strategy was implemented between 2014 and 2017. Therefore, to assess its implementation status and design necessary action plan for the future, IRIM conducted an independent evaluation, commissioned by GIZ and MET. The evaluation results indicate that the Strategy was a useful reference document for stakeholders in aligning their efforts in promoting gender equality in the environmental sector. However its implementation status was weak and there was a lack of communication and stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, the evaluation concluded that the Strategy’s design and monitoring and evaluation mechanism should be updated in line with recent policy and legal changes occurred in Mongolia such as the Long Term Development Vision of Mongolia and the Law on Development Policy and Planning.

IRIM also carried out an Analysis of the Gender Equality Situation in Environmental Sector in the case of the forestry sector in Mongolia. We conducted desk review, field visits in forested aimags and interviewed forest user groups, private companies, local communities, local authorities and central government representatives. The main findings of the analysis suggest that there are gender disparities in the forestry sector where men participate more in physical or guarding works and women’s participation is more in the reproductive activities.

The stakeholders interviewed tend to regard forestry business in Mongolia as a male-dominant sector and this perception was higher among men and the participation of women in environmental decision-making was lower than that of men. Furthermore, enforcement of the legislation related to gender and environment remains weak.

The role of local government organisations is crucial in mainstreaming gender in forestry sector yet their awareness and capacities should be improved to leverage on this role.

IRIM will continue working in the areas of climate change, gender and society and contributing to understand gender differences, provide reliable evidence and data and propose policy actions.

The full report is available here​