Ulaanbaatar city, March 31, 2023 - The signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development (MCUD) and the Millennium Challenge Account - Mongolia (MCA-Mongolia) aimed ensuring gender equality and inclusion in the construction sector was held on March 31, 2023, in the Tuul Conference Room at MCA-Mongolia.

In accordance with Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)'s "Gender Policy" and MCA-Mongolia's "Social and Gender Integration Plan", MCA-Mongolia works to increase economic and livelihood positive impacts to the project-affected communities as well as reduce negative impacts and risks during the implementation of its infrastructure project as part of the MCC-Mongolia Water Compact Implementation.

Developing and implementing the "Construction and Urban Development Sector Gender-Responsive Policy 2018-2025" and its subsequent plans has been the first of its kind the industrial and construction sectors and has become a leading example for ensuring gender inclusion in Mongolia.

Mr. Magnaisuren S., the State Secretary of the MCUD, Mrs. Enkhgerel E., the Chief Executive Officer of MCA-Mongolia, and Mrs. Tina Yu, the Resident Country Director of MCC opened the ceremony. The current activities and interventions of MCUD on ensuring gender equality in the construction and urban development sector were presented by Mrs. Lkhamserjid A. the Sectary for the Non-Standing Subcommittee for Gender Equality at the MCUD, and the Mrs. Otgonchimeg A, the Gender and Social Inclusion Director at the MCA-Mongolia presented their efforts on ensuring social inclusion and gender equality in the infrastructure projects.

Mongolian Construction Association, Mongolian Women Employment Promotion Association, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and Asian Development representatives participated in the ceremony and presented their good practices, project implementation-related information, and lessons learned for increasing women's employment and ensuring gender equality.

As a result of the cooperation between MCUD, MCA-Mongolia, and other relevant stakeholders, women's participation in the construction sector of Mongolia will increase as well as creating standards for integrating social inclusion and gender equality in all phases of construction project development and implementation through development of effective criteria, collection of key gender-disaggregated data and analysis.

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This $462 million project is a partnership between the American and Mongolian people made possible by $350m in MCC grant funding and the $111.76m contribution from the Government of Mongolia which demonstrates their commitment to working together to achieve economic growth and poverty reduction in Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolia Water Compact is funding major infrastructure projects, including the construction of new wellfields and two large plants - an Advanced Water Purification Plant and Wastewater Recycling Plant which will be the first of their kind in Mongolia. In addition, the Compact will invest in policy measures to create a financially and environmentally sustainable future for the water sector of Ulaanbaatar. By 2026, the water system in Ulaanbaatar will have been expanded to deliver 80% more drinking water, allowing for the city’s future expansion.