The February 5 event ushered in a new public vision of vocational occupations in Mongolia, challenging the widespread perception that females were not fit in such heavy industries as mining and construction. 

According to Tuv Azza LLC Human Resource Manager G.Altantuya, as reported in the UB Post newspaper, heavy industries were interested in hiring females, particularly in the fields of engineering and security. “Women can be very successful once they chose these majors,” she said.

Advisor to the Minister of Labour, Ts. Nyamsuren, also quoted in the UB Post, said the ministry was making changes in relevant policies and laws to enable women to undertake positions in technical fields.

A total of 80 girls took part in the “Girls’ Day” event, where they received information about Mongolia’s vocational education, the specifics of different technical professions and current career opportunities.

They also took part in workshops, using tools and practising their skills under the guidance of teachers in the fields of carpentry, bricklaying, house-painting, electrical engineering and geodesy.

More than 15 Mongolian companies representing the mining, construction, food, hospitality, and trade and commerce sectors provided information on their particular areas of specialisation.  

Thanks to the success of the first “Girls’ Day” – organised in cooperation with the Institute of Engineering Technology, the GIZ Cooperative Vocational Training (CVT) Project will support more vocational schools in organising similar activities throughout 2015, with the aim of making “Girls’ Day” an annual event in Mongolia.

GIZ’s CVT Project is co-financed by German Government, SDC and the Australian government and is aimed at reforming Mongolia’s vocational education sector.

The festival provided a platform for aspiring young national and international filmmakers to experiment with alternative cinema and showcase their talents to the world.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) funded the 2015 festival as part of its cultural and arts grants, contributing to the development of Mongolia’s rich and diverse artistic and cultural heritage. 

The Golden Reel Association has been organising the avant-garde film festival for the past three years. This year, it expanded its horizons by inviting international filmmakers to take part in the event, attracting more than 200 submissions from 20 countries. 

Distinguished avant-garde cinema luminaries Peter Tscherkassky from Austria and Eve Heller from the US were on the jury, along with prominent Mongolian directors Byamba Sakhia and Jigjidsuren Gombojav, and Golden Reel Association Director Enkhbat Natsagdorj. 

Tscherkassky's new short film, The Exquisite Corpse, which was awarded a special prize at Cannes in 2015, inspired young Mongolian filmmakers during master classes on experimental filmmaking. 

Tscherkassky commended the Mongolian filmmakers' ability and accomplishments, and praised their efforts in creating a unique Mongolian cinematic identity by pushing the boundaries of conventional forms of filmmaking and fostering avant-garde and experimental films in Mongolia.