Gender equality in Mongolia: Spotlight on the State Great Hural
“Gender equality isn’t just a women’s issue, it requires everyone’s leadership,” said Nomin Chinbat, an MP in Mongolia’s State Great Hural (Parliament). “By working together, we are increasing the number of women in leadership and decision-making roles, building a more balanced and equitable future for all.”
Nomin was just one of the new cohort of MPs elected to Mongolia’s Parliament including a record number of women, who now make up more than a quarter of all legislators. Such progress doesn’t come by accident. The IPU has worked closely with Mongolia since 2022, when a Memorandum of
Understanding was signed to support efforts to advance gender equality and human rights in Parliament.
Work progressed quickly. A self-assessment in 2023 was followed by a strategic plan, and in 2025, the IPU organized a workshop for nearly 150 MPs, staff and other national stakeholders. This focused on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and how to implement it. Social media, press and television coverage helped spread the word beyond Parliament. The IPU mission also featured a round-table discussion with UK parliamentarians to mark the International Day of Parliamentarism.
Progress has been impressive. The existing electoral quota was increased to 30%, which, combined with a new system of mandated alternation of men and women candidates, resulted in a quarter of all seats being occupied by women. There were other developments too: greater diversity including younger MPs, three MPs with disabilities, a woman MP from the Kazakh minority and a dedicated children’s room for women MPs with parental responsibilities.
Inspired by the IPU’s Achieving gender equality, action by action campaign, several Mongolian women MPs recorded social media videos, which between them have racked up thousands of views. In one of them, MP Munkhtur Narantuya-Nara reflects that many social issues remain unresolved because women are excluded from decision-making. “Because women look at issues in such detail and with such human intuition, they’re able to address even the smallest problems by working together with strength and heart,” said Munkhtur. “Our female members of parliament are taking up, discussing and promoting many often-overlooked social issues to find solutions. Having even more women in decisionmaking roles, who truly understand the social pulse and the community, will be a powerful force in solving many more of our society’s challenges.”
An IPU workshop on gender equality in the Parliament of Mongolia.© Parliament of Mongolia
