What did you do on 8th March 2006?
A small exhibition of the impact of guns on women outside a University in Mongolia©AI Mongolia
Yes, it is the International Women’s Day on 8th March. It may not feel like a festival in your country but it is a popular one in Mongolia. The day was widely celebrated in a meaningful and memorable way by many AI members in all parts of the country. Through varied strategies and activities they devoted themselves on one same goal .i.e. to raise people’s awareness on violence against women in Mongolia.
One of the main hightlights of the day was an exhibition “1,000 women for the Nobel prizes” organized by the women’s group. The event showed 1,000 different stories of women who were nominated for the Nobel prizes in 2005. During the event, the AI’s SVAW campaign was introduced. Some local domestic violence cases were also highlighted to bring people’s attention.
The students group organized a signature collection event outside Mongolian National University. Information on SVAW campaign was provided and a small exhibition on the impact of guns on women was held. About 500 signatures were collected during the event.
The lawyers group spent the day by giving free legal advice to those who were in need. Nearly 40 people were met individually and legal advices were given ranging from issues related to domestic violence, migrant workers, child benefits and labour disputes. Seeing a real need in the service, the local lawyers group decided to continue to provide free legal advice to the public after the day. Now, people keep visiting AI Mongolia’s office everyday.
These memorable activities were widely reported by local media and TV stations for the following days.
- Contributed by Otgonchuluun Erdene, Campaign Coordinator, AI Mongolia