The World Women’s Forum was held (August 22, 2024) at the State House, gathering heads of government, deputy leaders of legislative bodies, ministers, and women leaders from over 20 sectors.
The forum, themed "Towards a Greener Future" continued tin Ulaanbaatar until August 23.
Dorothy McAuliffe, Special Representative for Global Partnerships Office of Global Partnerships represented USA in this forum.
-Welcome to Mongolia! Is this your first trip to Mongolia or have you visited previously?
-It is my pleasure to visit Mongolia and to represent the United States Government at the World Women’s Forum. This is my first visit to Mongolia- I am so grateful to the government and people of Mongolia for the warm welcome. In addition to participating and speaking at the World Women’s Forum, I traveled to Terelj this weekend to engage in Mongolian cultural activities and to enjoy the natural beauty of Mongolia.
-Have you given remarks at the World Women Forum?
-I had the pleasure of delivering a special message from the White House commending President Khurelsukh, the Government of Mongolia and its partners for convening the World Women’s Forum 2024. This letter from Vice President Kamala Harris conveyed her best wishes for a meaningful event and noted that the United State is “committed to fortifying our democracies by empowering civil society organizations that focus on gender equality.
In addition, the United States is investing in programs to help Mongolia’s small- and medium-sized enterprises-most of which are owned and operated by women- secure access to financing and improve corporate governance. The strength of our partnership provides us a foundation for cooperation on issues of global importance.”
It was an honor to join the panel, “Towards Gender Equal Economies,” alongside notable and inspiring leaders and gender advocates. During this panel, we discussed how gender equal economies are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and to building fair, inclusive, prosperous and peaceful societies everywhere. We talked about the most promising avenues for building gender equal economies, specifically through inclusive policy making, financial inclusion, education and skill development, workplace equality, advocacy and awareness, technological innovation, and of course, public-private partnerships.
The United States launched the first-ever inter-agency U.S. Strategy on Global Women’s Economic Security (WES Strategy) in January 2023 to lay out a vision for a world in which women and girls in all their diversity can fully, meaningfully, and equally contribute to, and benefit from, economic growth and global prosperity.
The United States is committed to leveraging partnerships with governments, private sector, and civil society partners to implement this strategy. I specifically talked about several Department of State partnerships that are laying the foundation for gender inclusive economies- in Mongolia and around the world. For example, for the first time, Mongolia will be included in the U.S.
Department of State’s Academy of Women Entrepreneurs program. The Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) will give thirty Mongolian enterprising women the knowledge, networks, and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses. At a local level, AWE harnesses the power of public-private sponsors, local partnerships, and U.S. Exchange Alumni networks to help women and their businesses grow. Another example of how we are working together to provide girls and women opportunities for full economic participation is the Women in Science (WiSci) partnership. We believe investing in girls’ education and leadership development is key to unlocking their full potential and driving economic empowerment in communities globally.”
Founded in 2015, WiSci Girls’ STEAM Camps are partnership between the Department of State and the private sector which create opportunities for secondary school girls from around the world to dive into STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Design, Mathematics) subjects alongside their peers and develop their leadership skills in a unique cross-cultural environment. WiSci has benefited over 1300 girls from more than 37 countries- and 78 percent of WiSci alumni pursuing higher education are studying STEAM subjects.
-What is the general concept/idea of Americans about Mongolia and its people? Can you share your plan, which places have you visited while in Mongolia?
-The United States values our partnership with Mongolia and has a great deal of respect for the country. U.S.-Mongolia relations are at their strongest point in history, bolstered by our shared values of democracy, human rights, and sustainable and inclusive economic prosperity. Just last month, Secretary of State Blinken and Foreign Minister Battsetseg had excellent meetings in Washington, D.C. to discuss concrete steps to advance U.S.-Mongolia ties and further strengthen our Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership, in which we agreed to increase our cooperation to build economic resilience, promote democratic principles and institutions, and strengthen our security cooperation.
Notably, the Secretary and the Foreign Minister launched the U.S.-Mongolia Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue, which highlighted the deepening strategic cooperation between the two countries, including on economic growth and energy, democracy and human rights, and educational and cultural exchanges.
People-to-people ties between the United States and Mongolia are also very strong- more than 30,000 Mongolians live in the United States, and every year hundreds of Mongolian students attend U.S. colleges and universities. Many government officials, military leaders, private sector representatives, and influential members of civil society and academia are alumni of U.S. exchange and training programs or have studied in the United States.
There are also a growing number of partnerships between Mongolian and U.S. universities to allow for more educational and cultural exchanges for both students and faculty. During Secretary Blinken’s recent visit, he announced the launch of a new “U.S. Mongolia Excellence in English Initiative,” a comprehensive program aimed at expanding English language programs in Mongolia.
An interesting anecdote about the importance of people-to-people connections- I am traveling here today with a staff colleague who served in the Peace Corps in Mongolia. His life-changing experience led him to join my team in the U.S. Department of State not long ago, and his enthusiasm about returning to Mongolia and to reconnecting with the people and culture is palpable. This is the lasting impact our cultural and educational exchange programs have in building connections between our peoples.
In addition to participating in the Women’s World Forum and engagements in Ulaanbaatar, I traveled to Terelj this weekend to engage in Mongolian cultural activities and to enjoy the natural beauty of Mongolia.
-Have you met our state officials besides the Forum?
-Through the Women’s World Forum, I have engaged numerous high-level representatives of the Government of Mongolia, including President Khurelsukh, Prime Minister Oyun Erdene, and Foreign Minister Battsetseg.
-How do you see the advancement in women leadership in Mongolia? What do we need to focus on, in your observation?
-The United States and Mongolia share a commitment to strong democratic institutions, rule of law, media freedom, and respect for human rights, including the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment. Mongolia, as a nation, has embedded in its Constitution a commitment to human rights, freedom, justice, and the promotion of gender equality across political, social, cultural, and economic domains.
Mongolia has become a pioneer in promoting gender equality, which is evidenced by the Women’s World Forum, and exemplified by Foreign Minister Battsetseg who is a role model for young Mongolians as she advocates for gender equality in Mongolia and throughout her travels as Mongolia’s chief diplomat.
She is just one of many amazing women leaders here, like Brigadier General Bolor, Mongolia's first female general officer, who Secretary of State Blinken named a 2023 International Women of Courage award winner for her role in paving the path for women in uniform, and also serves as Mongolian Military Advisor for Peacekeeping at the United Nations.
In terms of what Mongolia needs to focus on, there is always room for advancement, even in the United States. Building a world free of gender inequality is our shared goal, and we appreciate Mongolia’s efforts to advance its achievement and to be a model for other nations.
-You have worked as the national policy advisor in campaigns such as the Share our Strength, and No Kid Hungry Campaign. Please introduce about this campaign to our readers. How wide is the spread of child hunger in the United States? Why did you decide to work in this field?
-Since June 2022, I’ve served as Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the U.S. Department of State. In this position, I advise the Department on the use of strategic public-private partnerships, and lead the Office of Global Partnerships, which is the central point for private sector engagement in the Department of State. We understand that the world is complex and changing rapidly, and the challenges too great for governments alone.
And that is why it is imperative that we work together with the private sector to find innovations and policy solutions that work in this swiftly changing and complex landscape.
One of the many issues that we help support is that of global food security, which presents challenge around the world, including in the United States. My previous positions with Share Our Strength and the No Kid Hungry Campaign focused on the United States domestically, but one common denominator with that prior work and what I am doing today is that we recognize the need for the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to work together to create cross-sector solutions.
-Thank you
The World Women’s Forum was held (August 22, 2024) at the State House, gathering heads of government, deputy leaders of legislative bodies, ministers, and women leaders from over 20 sectors.
The forum, themed "Towards a Greener Future" continued tin Ulaanbaatar until August 23.
Dorothy McAuliffe, Special Representative for Global Partnerships Office of Global Partnerships represented USA in this forum.
-Welcome to Mongolia! Is this your first trip to Mongolia or have you visited previously?
-It is my pleasure to visit Mongolia and to represent the United States Government at the World Women’s Forum. This is my first visit to Mongolia- I am so grateful to the government and people of Mongolia for the warm welcome. In addition to participating and speaking at the World Women’s Forum, I traveled to Terelj this weekend to engage in Mongolian cultural activities and to enjoy the natural beauty of Mongolia.
-Have you given remarks at the World Women Forum?
-I had the pleasure of delivering a special message from the White House commending President Khurelsukh, the Government of Mongolia and its partners for convening the World Women’s Forum 2024. This letter from Vice President Kamala Harris conveyed her best wishes for a meaningful event and noted that the United State is “committed to fortifying our democracies by empowering civil society organizations that focus on gender equality.
In addition, the United States is investing in programs to help Mongolia’s small- and medium-sized enterprises-most of which are owned and operated by women- secure access to financing and improve corporate governance. The strength of our partnership provides us a foundation for cooperation on issues of global importance.”
It was an honor to join the panel, “Towards Gender Equal Economies,” alongside notable and inspiring leaders and gender advocates. During this panel, we discussed how gender equal economies are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and to building fair, inclusive, prosperous and peaceful societies everywhere. We talked about the most promising avenues for building gender equal economies, specifically through inclusive policy making, financial inclusion, education and skill development, workplace equality, advocacy and awareness, technological innovation, and of course, public-private partnerships.
The United States launched the first-ever inter-agency U.S. Strategy on Global Women’s Economic Security (WES Strategy) in January 2023 to lay out a vision for a world in which women and girls in all their diversity can fully, meaningfully, and equally contribute to, and benefit from, economic growth and global prosperity.
The United States is committed to leveraging partnerships with governments, private sector, and civil society partners to implement this strategy. I specifically talked about several Department of State partnerships that are laying the foundation for gender inclusive economies- in Mongolia and around the world. For example, for the first time, Mongolia will be included in the U.S.
Department of State’s Academy of Women Entrepreneurs program. The Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) will give thirty Mongolian enterprising women the knowledge, networks, and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses. At a local level, AWE harnesses the power of public-private sponsors, local partnerships, and U.S. Exchange Alumni networks to help women and their businesses grow. Another example of how we are working together to provide girls and women opportunities for full economic participation is the Women in Science (WiSci) partnership. We believe investing in girls’ education and leadership development is key to unlocking their full potential and driving economic empowerment in communities globally.”
Founded in 2015, WiSci Girls’ STEAM Camps are partnership between the Department of State and the private sector which create opportunities for secondary school girls from around the world to dive into STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Design, Mathematics) subjects alongside their peers and develop their leadership skills in a unique cross-cultural environment. WiSci has benefited over 1300 girls from more than 37 countries- and 78 percent of WiSci alumni pursuing higher education are studying STEAM subjects.
-What is the general concept/idea of Americans about Mongolia and its people? Can you share your plan, which places have you visited while in Mongolia?
-The United States values our partnership with Mongolia and has a great deal of respect for the country. U.S.-Mongolia relations are at their strongest point in history, bolstered by our shared values of democracy, human rights, and sustainable and inclusive economic prosperity. Just last month, Secretary of State Blinken and Foreign Minister Battsetseg had excellent meetings in Washington, D.C. to discuss concrete steps to advance U.S.-Mongolia ties and further strengthen our Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership, in which we agreed to increase our cooperation to build economic resilience, promote democratic principles and institutions, and strengthen our security cooperation.
Notably, the Secretary and the Foreign Minister launched the U.S.-Mongolia Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue, which highlighted the deepening strategic cooperation between the two countries, including on economic growth and energy, democracy and human rights, and educational and cultural exchanges.
People-to-people ties between the United States and Mongolia are also very strong- more than 30,000 Mongolians live in the United States, and every year hundreds of Mongolian students attend U.S. colleges and universities. Many government officials, military leaders, private sector representatives, and influential members of civil society and academia are alumni of U.S. exchange and training programs or have studied in the United States.
There are also a growing number of partnerships between Mongolian and U.S. universities to allow for more educational and cultural exchanges for both students and faculty. During Secretary Blinken’s recent visit, he announced the launch of a new “U.S. Mongolia Excellence in English Initiative,” a comprehensive program aimed at expanding English language programs in Mongolia.
An interesting anecdote about the importance of people-to-people connections- I am traveling here today with a staff colleague who served in the Peace Corps in Mongolia. His life-changing experience led him to join my team in the U.S. Department of State not long ago, and his enthusiasm about returning to Mongolia and to reconnecting with the people and culture is palpable. This is the lasting impact our cultural and educational exchange programs have in building connections between our peoples.
In addition to participating in the Women’s World Forum and engagements in Ulaanbaatar, I traveled to Terelj this weekend to engage in Mongolian cultural activities and to enjoy the natural beauty of Mongolia.
-Have you met our state officials besides the Forum?
-Through the Women’s World Forum, I have engaged numerous high-level representatives of the Government of Mongolia, including President Khurelsukh, Prime Minister Oyun Erdene, and Foreign Minister Battsetseg.
-How do you see the advancement in women leadership in Mongolia? What do we need to focus on, in your observation?
-The United States and Mongolia share a commitment to strong democratic institutions, rule of law, media freedom, and respect for human rights, including the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment. Mongolia, as a nation, has embedded in its Constitution a commitment to human rights, freedom, justice, and the promotion of gender equality across political, social, cultural, and economic domains.
Mongolia has become a pioneer in promoting gender equality, which is evidenced by the Women’s World Forum, and exemplified by Foreign Minister Battsetseg who is a role model for young Mongolians as she advocates for gender equality in Mongolia and throughout her travels as Mongolia’s chief diplomat.
She is just one of many amazing women leaders here, like Brigadier General Bolor, Mongolia's first female general officer, who Secretary of State Blinken named a 2023 International Women of Courage award winner for her role in paving the path for women in uniform, and also serves as Mongolian Military Advisor for Peacekeeping at the United Nations.
In terms of what Mongolia needs to focus on, there is always room for advancement, even in the United States. Building a world free of gender inequality is our shared goal, and we appreciate Mongolia’s efforts to advance its achievement and to be a model for other nations.
-You have worked as the national policy advisor in campaigns such as the Share our Strength, and No Kid Hungry Campaign. Please introduce about this campaign to our readers. How wide is the spread of child hunger in the United States? Why did you decide to work in this field?
-Since June 2022, I’ve served as Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the U.S. Department of State. In this position, I advise the Department on the use of strategic public-private partnerships, and lead the Office of Global Partnerships, which is the central point for private sector engagement in the Department of State. We understand that the world is complex and changing rapidly, and the challenges too great for governments alone.
And that is why it is imperative that we work together with the private sector to find innovations and policy solutions that work in this swiftly changing and complex landscape.
One of the many issues that we help support is that of global food security, which presents challenge around the world, including in the United States. My previous positions with Share Our Strength and the No Kid Hungry Campaign focused on the United States domestically, but one common denominator with that prior work and what I am doing today is that we recognize the need for the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to work together to create cross-sector solutions.
-Thank you