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Mongolia
The collapse of the socialist regime in the early 1990s resulted in rapid impoverishment of the majority of the population due to high inflation, loss of jobs and income. Consequently, there has been a sharp increase in unemployment, alcoholism, family dysfunction and destruction of mutual support networks. These factors have contributed to children experiencing hardships including being subjected to abuse, violence and neglect, dropping out of school, leaving home, and/or living and working on the street to support their families.
The main child rights issue facing children in Mongolia is child maltreatment including violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. In 1998, it was estimated that one in every two children experiences violence. A lack of a clear legal framework and national strategy, coordinated mechanisms, trained workforce and adequate resources to respond to child protection issues exacerbates the problem even further.
Harmful traditional practices:
There are no grave harmful traditional practices against children. However, child rights organizations express concern over child jockeys, especially those taking part in long distance horse racing during extreme cold weather. The National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia estimates that there are 40 to 50 horse racing events each year, and at each event, approximately 2,000 children between the ages of 6 and 16 years are engaged as jockeys, which poses risks to the life and health of the children.
Children without appropriate care and children on the move:
Currently, it is estimated that there are 300 street children in Mongolia deprived of family care and protection and exposed to further abuse and violence. There is no nation-wide data on the number of children trafficked, however, there is growing concern about domestic child trafficking among human rights and children’s rights NGOs. For example, it is estimated that there are 140 child victims of exploitation in Ulaanbaatar city. Due to poverty and unemployment in the country, many Mongolian families are migrating to urban areas leading to a large number of migrant children having limited access to social services, including education and health care. In 2010, it was estimated that nearly 40,000 people migrated to the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. There is no data on refugee children in Mongolia.
Emergency situations and children:
Currently, there is no armed conflict or natural disaster affecting children; however, due to global climate change and other factors, Mongolia is becoming increasingly prone to natural and man-made disasters, including extremely harsh winters, earthquakes, floods, droughts and severe winds. These often result in a lack of access to health care, food scarcity and quality, loss of livelihoods, an interruption in education, mass rural to urban migration, and psychological trauma, as was seen during the 2009-2010 dzud (a natural disaster resulting from a combination of summer drought and heavy winter snow).
It is also reported that the surface water is drying up, vegetation is decreasing, water is becoming more mineralized, soil erosion is increasing, and desertification is spreading in Mongolia. There are also criticisms by civil society organizations on the poor management of natural resource exploitation and protection of the environment. These factors could have significant impacts on families’ livelihoods and thus children’s wellbeing.
Furthermore, Mongolia can be considered as a politically unstable country, as was seen during the public riots following the July 2008 parliamentary elections, where many protested over allegations of government vote-rigging. During this event, several adolescents and young people were arbitrarily detained and subjected to abuse and violence, and sentenced to imprisonment.
Child Labour:
It is estimated that 10 percent of children aged 7-14 years, a total of over 36,0000 children, were in employment in 2006. Children’s employment occurs predominantly in rural areas (agriculture and livestock sectors), mainly in the form of livestock herding. Boys aged 7-14 age years are more likely to be in employment than girls. Furthermore, many children are estimated to be engaged in the worst forms of child labour including working at informal gold and coal mines.
Corporal Punishment:
Corporal punishment is prohibited by law since March 2016. However Corporal punishment of children is accepted by the public as a traditional means to educate and discipline children. In 2005, research involving 607 children and 40 adults conducted as part of comparative research among 8 countries in Asia, found that the prevalence of hitting as a punishment for children aged 10-13 years was 45.6%, other direct assault 5%, indirect assault 9%, deliberate neglect 1.2% and verbal attack 33.8%.
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Young Voices 2- Mongolia 2018: A child integrity survey report
Young Voices 2 was conducted by Save the Children in Mongolia (SM) and Transparency International Mongolia (TIM) in association with the Young Voices Group of child advocates. It follows on from a previous Young Voices survey in 2017 which highlighted chi
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Ending Legalised Violence Against Children by 2030: Progress towards prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment in Pathfinder countries
This report tracks the country-level progress that has been made to prohibit corporal punishment of children in Pathfinding Countries. It emphasizes the importance of ending corporal punishment to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.2. Furthermo
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Young Voices- Mongolia 2017
Save the Children in Mongolia carried out this Young Voices survey in Mongolia so that children could have a say about all matters that affect them, such as knowledge about their rights, bullying, school costs, safety in the streets and on the internet, h
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Rapid Needs Assessment Report (Ver.2) Mongolian Dzu 2016-2017
For the second year in a row (2016/2017 winter), Mongolian families are facing a severe winter, known as a dzud. Despite a fairly good summer, heavy early snow falls in October 2016 followed by plummeting temperatures towards the end of the year, left a l
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The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia
The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia was produced in response to crucial gaps in conflict data of the region. The Asia Foundation draws on its extended involvement and experience in the region to provide a thorough, evidence-based overview of violen
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Save the Children in Mongolia: Project Spotlight
Mongolia is a newly developing country, which is striving to strengthen human rights and democratic governance, while harmonizing both nomadic and urban civilization. Save the Children has been working in Mongolia since 1994 to support Mongolian children'
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NGOs supplementary Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in accordance to the fifth Periodic Report of the Government of Mongolia
The Government of Mongolia sent the 5th report on implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in April 2015. In accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the supplementary
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For the Rights of All Children- Children’s Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child- Mongolia
The report was written with the participation of 108 children between ages of 11-18 and 3,285 children were involved in the surveys. Children from different areas in Mongolia met in Ulaanbaatar city as representatives of the children of Mongolia to discus
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National Child Protection Systems in the East Asia and Pacific Region: A review and analysis of mappings and assessments
This report presents the findings of a mappings and assessments review of child protection systems in 14 countries. The principal purpose of the study was to consolidate existing information on the shared strengths, challenges and priorities for developin
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Budget Analysis for Children: Analysis of State and Local Budgets, Handbook for Adolescents
Published by Save the Children in Mongolia, this illustrated handbook compiles important information for children and adolescents on the Government's responsibility for the implementation of children's rights, as well as the importance of how the public b
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Why are boys underperforming in education? Gender analysis of four Asia-Pacific countries
All girls and boys have an equal right to education. Meeting this right requires an education system, which welcomes all students, girls and boys. Teaching and curricula must respond to students’ individual backgrounds, cultures and learning styles, allow
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Becoming a human rights friendly school: A Guide for schools around the world
The Human Rights Friendly Schools project aims to empower young people and promote the active participation of all members of the school community in integrating human rights values and principles into all areas of school life. The project is founded on t