Nomadic traditions
Mongolia's nomadic lifestyle, based on livestock rearing, is now being lost. It is made increasingly difficult by climate change and the züds, which become more recurrent and intense on the steppe in winter.
Traditional Mongolian life makes use of the "five muskets", which provide nomadic families with enough to live on: meat and dairy products, which make up the bulk of the Mongolian diet, wool for clothing and insulating felt, and fuel from dung. Even animal hair and bones can be used to make musical instruments and toys. Horses, yaks and camels are also used as pack animals for transport.
Breeding requires specific knowledge, passed down from generation to generation. The animals must be domesticated, their feeding and reproduction controlled, and they must know where to graze, as well as the natural cycles of the different types of herd.
In the past, nomadism involved several migrations per season. Today, many herders have restricted their movements from a winter camp to a summer camp. In some regions, such as the Gobi Desert, the land is poor and requires frequent changes of grazing area. Nomads therefore continue to move several times a year, usually 15 to 20 km, but sometimes up to 150 km depending on climatic conditions, in search of sources of water and food for their herds. They then live in smaller, lighter yurts than those they use during the cold season.
The frequency of travel increases during the summer and autumn seasons, when the animals must graze in preparation for the harsh winter ahead. They are therefore taken to graze in successive areas where grass is abundant.
Migrations from one pasture to another give rise to a ceremony. According to tradition, the father of the family rides out in the middle of the day to scout his surroundings. Once he has chosen a suitable spot, he places a few stones on the ground to symbolize the new home and show the other herders that the site is taken. Back in the camp, preparations for departure can begin. The family packs up all their belongings and dismantles the yurt on the day of departure. Today's nomads have modernized! They use motorized vehicles to get around, rather than pack animals to carry their belongings. They will be welcomed in the ger they meet along the way, and invited to share tea, and sometimes room and board. On arrival in the camp, the family invites their new neighbors, even if they may live several kilometers away, to a party to celebrate their new home.
Hospitality is a strong value for nomads, and the way in which guests are received is codified. For example, you don't knock before entering a yurt, and you stand to the left of the entrance. Accustomed to a harsh climate, nomads must show solidarity and will not leave anyone outside. Visitors are treated with great respect, and welcomed with salted milk tea, airag or vodka. They are also invited to share room and board with their hosts. While nomads take this tradition for granted and expect nothing in return, it's only natural that the person welcomed into the ger should offer their hosts some small gifts.
The Mongolian ger , or yurt, takes around two hours to set up. With a surface area of 15 to 30m2, it consists of two main parts: the wooden frame, khana, and the insulating felt roof. Two central pillars, called uni, support the entire structure. They are considered sacred: never walk between them, nor pass objects through them.
As a rule, the floor of the yurt, if any, must be erected first. This is followed by the wooden latticework that forms the sides of the dwelling and the doorframe. The crown, or toono - the wooden circle at the top of the ger - is attached to the two central columns. Depending on climatic conditions, it can be opened or closed. Once the wooden frame is in place, the men cover it with layers of felt, followed by the outer white canvas, held in place by ropes. Felt is a material handcrafted from sheep's wool. It is used for its insulating properties: it protects the family from the cold in winter, but also from the heat in summer.
Symbolic, the ger is a reduced representation of the universe and Mongolian cosmogony. It is itself considered a sacred space, which is why many rules must be observed when entering a Mongolian family's yurt, so as not to offend the hosts. The round shape of the roof represents the celestial vault, and the central pillars the cosmic axis linking earth and sky. The stove is placed in the center, and many beliefs are linked to the hearth. The woman is in charge of its upkeep.
Traditionally, the ger faces south, and each part of the yurt is dedicated to a particular function. The north is sacred: the ancestral altar and the family's most precious objects are placed there. The west is for men and guests, while the east is reserved for women and domestic life.
Today's nomads have adapted to the new technologies. For example, many yurts are equipped with solar panels to provide electricity during the day, as well as a satellite dish connected to the television.
Marriage and the place of women
In the past, marriage in Mongolia was based on the abduction of the bride, but fortunately this tradition has been abandoned! Today, the bride and groom themselves decide on their union, free and unencumbered.
Traditionally, the bride and groom wear the deel, and the groom-to-be must assemble the yurt where the ceremony will take place. His fiancée must provide the horsehair rope to hold it together, the felt to cover the roof and the furniture, but the construction of their future home remains the groom's responsibility.
Today, it is rarer to attend weddings that respect tradition. In Ulaanbaatar, the Wedding Palace takes care of the entire organization of the event: room reservation, wedding certificate, clothing...
In the countryside, it is still possible to attend traditional ceremonies. These are very solemn and codified, involving rituals and prayers. Exchanges of gifts are still frequent. The bride's parents receive livestock from the groom's family, and the bride gives jewelry, clothes or furniture.
Within the household, roles are well divided: in the countryside, the man looks after the animals and the woman looks after the ger. In urban environments, the division of tasks is less clear-cut, as it is in Western societies.
Women's status. In the 1990s, with the end of the communist regime, women gained greater access to education and positions of responsibility. Although they are still excluded from political power and do not earn higher salaries, in recent decades they have benefited from a higher level of education than men in Mongolia. Around 60% of women go on to university, compared with only 30% of men. This gap can be explained by the nomadic lifestyle: families feel that boys should stay and work with the cattle, and send their daughters to study in the capital.
With better education and a longer life expectancy, women have climbed the social ladder, while a larger proportion of men face unemployment and alcoholism. However, Mongolian women are still subject to strong social and cultural pressure: they are expected not only to have a career, but also to marry and have children, preferably before the age of 29!
Declining marriage rates. In 2007, the marriage rate in the capital stood at 22.9 per 1,000 people. By 2016, it had dropped considerably to just 8.9. This is due to the widening gap between men and women. Young people tend to marry people from the same social background as themselves. As educated women outnumber men, they are far from all finding the right match.
Homosexuality still taboo
In Mongolia, homosexuality was punishable by imprisonment until 1989. However, it was decriminalized in 1993. Although there is no de facto prohibition in law, the situation of LGBT people in the country remains difficult.
Homosexual couples have no legal recognition. They cannot adopt, and same-sex marriages contracted abroad are not recognized in Mongolia.
Although legislation has evolved, acts of violence, persecution and discrimination against homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people continue to occur. In the absence of adequate legislation, very few of the complaints lodged by the latter are successful. For fear of reprisals, LGBT people are also reluctant to take legal action.
To change the situation, associations and organizations are taking action to raise awareness and defend the rights of Mongolia's LGBT community. In 2013, the first Pride Week was held in Ulaanbaatar, and in 2014, more protective legislative proposals for sexual and gender minorities were presented to Parliament.
A plague called alcohol
A veritable scourge in Mongolia, alcohol is wreaking havoc on the population across all social strata, in both urban and rural areas. According to a study carried out by an international health organization, 22% of men and 5% of women are addicted to alcohol in Mongolia, a rate three times higher than in Europe.
The level of alcohol abuse has worsened considerably since the 1990s and the liberalization of the economy. It is amplified by a difficult social situation in urban areas: in the capital, a large proportion of the population is unemployed and living below the poverty line. Alcohol is also a commodity that costs very little and is available everywhere; in some supermarkets, there are over 25 different brands of vodka!
Alcoholism has serious social and health consequences. Almost one Mongolian in five is said to regularly abuse alcohol, and 72% of violent crimes are committed by intoxicated individuals. Domestic violence is said to be one of the leading causes of divorce in the country, which in 2020 had 86,500 single parents - the majority of them women. There are many cardiovascular problems among male alcoholics, who generally live shorter lives than women.
In 2022, President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh launched a national movement against alcoholism, for the safety and well-being of Mongolian families.
Abolition of the death penalty
Although the death penalty had not been applied since 2008, it was recently abolished in 2017. This historic decision is the result of a long process, which began in 2010 with the announcement of a moratorium on executions by the then President of the Republic, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj.
In 2015, the Great Khural adopted a new penal code that ratifies the abolition of the death penalty and also contains other advances in human rights, notably concerning torture.
Mongolia became the 105th country in the world to legislate the abolition of the death penalty. The death penalty could not be applied to women, under-18s or over-60s. The condemned were executed with a bullet to the back of the head.
