Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – The U.S. government today announced the launch of the Strengthening Women and Youth Engagement in the Electoral and Political Processes in Mongolia project that will elevate the role of women and youth in civil society and the political process.
Implemented in partnership with the International Republican Institute (IRI), together with the Asia Foundation (TAF) and a broad network of Mongolian civil society organizations, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) three-year democracy and governance initiative will focus on fostering citizen engagement in Mongolia’s pre-election period and supporting the Mongolian government’s efforts to promote constituent-responsive governance and political accountability during the post-election period. The project will support a range of civil society-led civic engagement activities including nationwide voter education campaigns, get-out-the-vote initiatives, youth and women policy networking events, and technical support for activists and journalists.
“Mongolia is a democracy that is home to dynamic young people and strong women leaders,” said U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Michael Klecheski. “We are honored to support their civic engagement as we work toward our shared goals of advancing peace, democracy, and prosperity for Mongolia and for the broader Indo-Pacific region.”
IRI and TAF will work with the Voter Education Center, Zorig Foundation, and Women for Change on a series of voter education campaigns to provide reliable voter information to the public. Through a series of interactive online events, IRI will collaborate with the Liberal Women’s Brain Pool to support youth and women political engagement through non-partisan deliberation on political priorities as well as obstacles to inclusivity and accountability.
The project will coordinate with the Youth Policy Watch to organize a series of events to engage voters and raise awareness of key youth and women policy issues. It will also partner with Women for Change on a series of online advocacy training workshops and supporting Mongolia’s free press and journalists in partnership with the Globe International Center.
“Only an inclusive and responsive democracy can meet the needs of its citizens,” said Craig Castagna, IRI’s Resident Program Director for Mongolia. “IRI is proud to be working alongside USAID, the Asia Foundation, and our local partners to elevate women and youth voices and support more inclusive civic engagement.”
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View original story at IRI.org
