For many people the first images of Mongolia that come to mind are barren steppes, open skies and nomads living a rural lifestyle. But in fact more than half the population of 2.6m lives in cities, most of them in the capital Ulaan Baatar.
Perhaps even more surprising is the role of women in Mongolian society. Mongolia enjoys a female workforce participation of 51%, which puts it among the top 5 countries in the world in terms of percentage of women in the workforce.
Historically Mongolian women have enjoyed higher status than in many other countries in the region, and this trend was developed further during the 20th century under Soviet rule, when equality was emphasised and women’s participation in many professions increased.
In her exhibition ‘Professional Women of Mongolia’ photographer Grace Gelder documents some of the many Mongolian women in professional and technical roles. The exhibition was created in November and December 2007 and highlights the variety of roles filled by Mongolian women.
The photos above and below are taken from the exhibition. Above is Nina, who runs a pharmaceutical business.
And to the left is S. Otgonnyam, who is Project Manager of the World Bank Fast Track Initiative. The programme aims to improve education in rural Mongolia.
The photos are showcased on Grace’s website here, and you can see more photos of Mongolia and detailed background information on Grace’s Flickr site. She would also be happy to hear from anyone who has questions – the address is gracegelder@googlemail.com
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Lucy
Thanks for posting these photos! I like Grace’s works on Mongolia. She didn’t only done this project, but also she involved with many other community projects, like Khongor (Darling) village where cyanide and mercury poisoned the water. Wish you all the best, Grace!
Thanks a lot for your comment Baika. I also think Grace worked on some very interesting projects. I hope we will be able to post more in future!
Great work Grace! I am especially curious where all the other women work. Had a look at your website but wasn’t able to find out…
Hi Julia. Try taking a look at Grace’s Flickr site (linked in the post). There is more information about the photos there – hopefully that will tell you what you wanted to know.