At a ceremony
organized jointly by the Government and the National Committee for Gender Equality,
Prime Minister S. Batbold, who is head of both, yesterday called for united
efforts to actually implement provisions of the law on gender equality passed
by Parliament on February 2. Noting that Mongolia has been slipping in the gender
development index, Batbold said society as a whole must seek the reason and
determine to reverse the trend. Mongolia, once ranked 83^rd, dropped
to 89^th in 2002, and is now placed 92^nd among 174
countries. 

Ch. Oyuntstetseg of
the UNFPA said the law would have a significant impact on improving education
and health services, including the fight against AIDS, on violence against
women, women’s ownership of property, and on reaching the Millenuim Development
Goals. 

Batbold expressed his
gratitude to all who had played an important role in the passage of the law, and
particularly mentioned Parliament Speaker D, Demberel, Chief  of  the
Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Science D. Ochirbat who also
headed the working group,  former Prime Minister
S.Bayar, MPs S.Oyun, D.Ouynkhorol, D. Arvin, and L.Gantumur, members of working
groups, public organizations, the media, UNFPA, and  the Asian Development Bank.