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Topic Discussion III
Participation in
Democratic Decision-Making:
The Vital Voices of Women, Civil Society and
Pluralism
Room 2
(20 of 21 pages)
Speaker: Thank you. After the discussions, I found some similarities as
well as differences in terms of women's participation in politics. As my colleague of Guyana expressed her ideas
and the experiences of Guyana, I found some similarities between Mongolia and Guyana in terms of participation
of women in politics and in terms of the level of education. And then I found our big difference between the women's
situation participation in Yemen and in Mongolia. And I found one of major reasons for that is maybe the level
of education. In Mongolian case, level of education for women is much higher than the man. This is the reality.
And in today for instance, about 70 - 90 percent of universities [inaudible] goals. This has been a tendency for
a long time so if we go, if this continues, then maybe in year 2020, then we might become [inaudible]. Society
[inaudible] therefore in recent years our women's [inaudible] are focussing on gender issues more than women's
participation in politics sometimes. And also I wanted to say that there is now correlation between the level of
democracy and level of women's participation in politics. So therefore, the democracy is not the only way to achieve
our goal. So we could find other ways to sort this problem. And as my colleague mentioned about the quarter system
for instance, this has been suggested by several participants. I am personally supporting the [inaudible] for Macedonia
that I would not propose a quarter system for instance for Mongolia. I would propose Mongolian's women highly educated
women, to show themselves that they can do much better than our men expect. And also a good governess reform program
and the anti corruption movement, could help our goal to participate more in politics. Because women are more honest.
This has been proved for instance in Mongolia case. Then the women's participation also can be increased. Thank
you.
Question: Why do you have more women, why is the increase of women in higher education than men? Is that
a cultural thing? Why is it happening that more women are in the universities than the men?
Speaker: We've tried to make some analysis on this. So we've found two or three major reasons. One, after
boys finishing the high schools, they prefer to work rather than to study in the universities. This is their own
choice. Secondly, I found that they are lazy to study. The second reason. And also it's been a kind of tradition
that the men could take care of the family in terms of working, the livestock sector is one of the major economic
sectors of Mongolia. So they should take care of the family business, so this kind of reasons effected to this.
This is my personal opinion and a friend of mine working on the residual such kind of tendency, so they found these
kind of reasons only. Thank you.
Speaker: I thank you. I would say that I am thankful that you have also participated in this whole discussion
of this afternoon. And really as I'm living in Namibia, I'm happy that I could live there as a democratic country.
And one thing, which I would say, is that sometimes we don't know, we know the word democracy, but we don't use
it. It's only sometimes, only on the papers and only in the words, which is used, but not in practice. So what
else there is, that we have to go back and to educate our women. I'm talking from the view of ultimate women. I
am not a politician, I am not in the parliament, I am yes a woman. And I am proud to be that. And you know in those
days, we have been educated and said that the girls have to take care of the family and the boys are the ones who
were the breadwinners. And they believe in that. And if you can take the woman from a age, then they believe in
that. And that's why they sometimes do not stand up for their own rights. And that's why they don't want to vote
for the women. They rather choose the men. They don't know how to support one another because they believe in this
belief that they have made believe. But nowadays, luckily we the women have start with the gender education. Where
we teach our children to be equal, that they can, both of them the girl and the boy, do the same things. Reach
the same goal. Therefore I would plead to you to go back and I am happy with this [inaudible] that they have such
a center where the women are trained because we need to be trained before we go into something. Because sometimes
you have knowledge, you have the information, you know maybe how to speak, but you don't know publicly how to go
out. So you have the inner education, you have, but to act outside, it's not possible, it's not easy. You need
someone to take you by hand and to bring you to this place. And in this way, we will have more women in participating
roles. Therefore it's for the younger women; it's easy because they are already there. But for those maybe from
the '40s, they need to be informed. And to be educated, to be informed and to be supported. And it's what I would
say, and also I like what the Guyana sisters, there are so many educated people in their country. That's also what
we are hoping for, and that's what I'm dreaming for. To be a real dream one day in Namibia because we are reaching
out for that. And therefore I have nothing else to say, but to say what I am please say, is please go back and
educate those, so that they can stand up for themselves and support the other women and to vote for them, when
these election.
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