IMPACT HERO 2023 : Oyungerel Tsedevdamba
Country: Mongolia
Organization: Local Solutions
Breaking the taboo of toilets and improving sanitation and health throughout Mongolia
Oyuna studied planned economics at a university in Moscow, however, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, she became an activist to advocate for democracy in Mongolia. From 2012 to 2016, Oyuna served as the Minister of Culture and Tourism as one of the first female members of the parliament.
Oyuna’s mission is to change toilets to change lives. More than 60% of toilets in Mongolia are open-pit latrine toilets, which are highly unsanitary and even dangerous. However, in a country where even talking about ‘toilets’ is considered a taboo, there has been almost no progress in improving them. To address this calamity, in 2017, Oyuna launched the “Let’s Change Out Toilets” campaign to break that taboo and improve the wellbeing of her people by promoting, providing, and educating the public on safe and sanitary toilets.
Reasons for Selection
Many United Nations agencies and international organizations have attempted to address this critical issue; however, none of these organizations have been successful in effectively improving the situation. As a local woman who has a large community of followers (on social media, she has the second largest number of followers in the country, most of which consists of young Mongolian women and girls!), Oyuna is one of the rare candidates (if not the only candidate) to be able to address this critical issue – one none of foreign organizations were able to accomplish.
Many United Nations agencies and international organizations have attempted to address this critical issue; however, none of these organizations have been successful in effectively improving the situation. As a local woman who has a large community of followers (on social media, she has the second largest number of followers in the country, most of which consists of young Mongolian women and girls!), Oyuna is one of the rare candidates (if not the only candidate) to be able to address this critical issue – one none of foreign organizations were able to accomplish.
Many United Nations agencies and international organizations have attempted to address this critical issue; however, none of these organizations have been successful in effectively improving the situation. As a local woman who has a large community of followers (on social media, she has the second largest number of followers in the country, most of which consists of young Mongolian women and girls!), Oyuna is one of the rare candidates (if not the only candidate) to be able to address this critical issue – one none of foreign organizations were able to accomplish.
Many United Nations agencies and international organizations have attempted to address this critical issue; however, none of these organizations have been successful in effectively improving the situation. As a local woman who has a large community of followers (on social media, she has the second largest number of followers in the country, most of which consists of young Mongolian women and girls!), Oyuna is one of the rare candidates (if not the only candidate) to be able to address this critical issue – one none of foreign organizations were able to accomplish.
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Reasons for Selection
Many United Nations agencies and international organizations have attempted to address this critical issue; however, none of these organizations have been successful in effectively improving the situation. As a local woman who has a large community of followers (on social media, she has the second largest number of followers in the country, most of which consists of young Mongolian women and girls!), Oyuna is one of the rare candidates (if not the only candidate) to be able to address this critical issue – one none of foreign organizations were able to accomplish.
Many United Nations agencies and international organizations have attempted to address this critical issue; however, none of these organizations have been successful in effectively improving the situation. As a local woman who has a large community of followers (on social media, she has the second largest number of followers in the country, most of which consists of young Mongolian women and girls!), Oyuna is one of the rare candidates (if not the only candidate) to be able to address this critical issue – one none of foreign organizations were able to accomplish.
Many United Nations agencies and international organizations have attempted to address this critical issue; however, none of these organizations have been successful in effectively improving the situation. As a local woman who has a large community of followers (on social media, she has the second largest number of followers in the country, most of which consists of young Mongolian women and girls!), Oyuna is one of the rare candidates (if not the only candidate) to be able to address this critical issue – one none of foreign organizations were able to accomplish.
Many United Nations agencies and international organizations have attempted to address this critical issue; however, none of these organizations have been successful in effectively improving the situation. As a local woman who has a large community of followers (on social media, she has the second largest number of followers in the country, most of which consists of young Mongolian women and girls!), Oyuna is one of the rare candidates (if not the only candidate) to be able to address this critical issue – one none of foreign organizations were able to accomplish.