In 2016 the agricultural sector, overwhelmingly engaged in pastoral livestock production, accounted for 12 percent of GDP and 30 percent of total employment of Mongolia. Rural women in Mongolia are heavily engaged in the agriculture sector. They contribute to livestock management as well as farming activities. Processing raw materials of livestock origin, mainly by women constitutes Mongolia’s main industry and is one of the country’s major sources of export earnings. Due to the increase of migration from rural area to urban cities for employment, rural households face problems caused of shortage of worker, such as lack of manpower to take care of livestock or lack of income from herding. These problems are faced by female-headed households severer. 

FAO Mongolia successfully organized the training on “Gender Analysis in Livestock Management and Interventions” in cooperation with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Light Industry (MoFALI). The training took place from 20 to 22 May 2019 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 

The training was developed by the the Animal Production and Health Division (AGA), and the Social Policy and Rural Institutions Division, and carried out by technical officer from FAO headquarter and the regional FAO office (RAP). The goal of the training was to improve participants’ skills to apply principles of gender analysis in the livestock sector with emphasis on policy development, programme implementation and sharing understanding on gender related issues. More than 36 participants from all over the country including human resource managers, livestock officials, FAO officials and agricultural officers from the department of food and agriculture of 21 provinces. All participants received a Certification at the end of the 3 days training.

During the training, MoFALI, National Gender Committee and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) gave presentations on gender issues in Mongolia. MoFALI has highlighted the significance of the training for gender policy development in the agricultural sector. Mr. Vinod Ahuja, FAOR in Mongolia emphasized “Gender equality is considered a central component to the FAO’s mandate to achieve food security for all by raising levels of nutrition, improving agricultural productivity and improving the lives of rural populations. FAO can achieve its goals only if it simultaneously works toward gender equality and supports women’s diverse role in agriculture and rural development.”

International development discussions have increasingly recognized women’s crucial role in agriculture, in Mongolia as well as globally, acknowledging the major contribution that rural women provide in achieving household food security and overall wellbeing.  Moreover, the specific role of women in livestock farming is gaining recognition worldwide and its being supported by consistent research showing that empower women livestock keepers must be seen as a key step of any effort to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty.  

Gender equality is considered a central component to the FAO’s mandate to achieve food security for all by raising levels of nutrition, improving agricultural productivity and improving the lives of rural populations. FAO can achieve its goals only if it simultaneously works toward gender equality and supports women’s diverse role in agriculture and rural development.