To live in an honorable, responsible way, and try to change what disturbs me beginning with what I definitely can do.”

As a child, Chinchuluun Naidandorj dreamt of following in her painter-sculptor father’s footsteps. Later, she graduated in law from the Mongolian National University and now holds perhaps the most vital women NGO position in Mongolia as head of the Mongolian Women’s Fund (Mones) initiated by her in 2000. Previously she had succeeded in making the Women Lawyers’ Association, of which she was executive director, a powerful organization. She is founder of the Human Rights & Development Centre (1998), a leading civil society organisation in Mongolia.

After Chinchuluun Naidandorj, at that time 18 years old, had failed her university entrance exams in 1975, her mother found her a technical job in the archives of the former ministry of public security. Three years of work taught her discipline and self-control. In 1979 she became a student of jurisprudence at the then Mongolian State University. Graduating from there with a lawyer’s diploma, she was appointed a judge in a rural area. Today Chinchuluun occupies one of the most important positions in Mongolia as the director of Mones. Purevsuren D., program coordinator of the fund, is proud of Chinculuun’s efforts. “The fund awarded grants to 28 projects out of 54 applications in 2004. The total of 2004 grants equals almost 21 million tugriks.” By now more than 30,000 persons and 87 projects have received financial support from the fund. In an interview Chinchuluun said: "To live in an honorable, responsible way, and try to change what disturbs me, beginning with what I definitely can do, this is my aim.” This is proven by her actions. Chinchuluun has also been in the forefront of the campaign to ratify and join the International Criminal Court. In recent years she has been team leader in 12 major projects financed by international organizations. Of particular importance was, among others, the project on documentation of human rights violations in Mongolia. She is also a leading expert in human and women’s rights and was the first to start nationwide juridical consultations for women. She initiated and led a series of campaigns for taking legislative measures against family violence, which after seven years culminated in the adoption of a law on domestic violence by the Mongolian Parliament.

Women Lawyers' Association Mongolian Women’s Fund (Mones)