Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2022. xxi, 288 pp. (B&W photos.) US$33.00, paper. ISBN 9780226818740.
A Thousand Steps to Parliament: Constructing Electable Women in Mongolia is a meticulously researched and thought-provoking analysis of the challenges, opportunities, and transformations experienced by female candidates before and during the 2008, 2012, and 2016 parliamentary elections in Mongolia.
Traditionally, Mongolian women have had a higher social status compared to their counterparts in other Asian countries. They enjoyed de jure equal status with men during the socialist period, and had 25 to 30 percent representation in the national parliament. However, women’s representation in the parliament dropped to 3 to 8 percent during the first decade of Mongolia’s transition to democracy following the 1990 democratic revolution. Manduhai Buyandelger’s research sheds light on this dramatic change and the legacies of women’s political participation during state socialism. She challenges the common misconception that Mongolian women’s political activism is a recent phenomenon by taking the reader through the historical experiences of Mongolian women under socialism and the efforts by the Mongolian Women’s Committee (national women’s organization) to improve women’s social and political status. As the author notes, these socialist legacies have played an important role in women’s electoral campaigning during the democratic period.
One of the interesting features of Mongolian democratization is the ever-increasing weight of elections and electoral campaigns on every aspect of the country’s social and political life. Buyandelger elaborates on the term “electionization,” which was first coined by a political consultant during one of her electoral campaign observation trips, to describe this intriguing phenomenon. She argues that parliamentary elections in Mongolia have been transformed from time-bound events to a perpetual structuring force, “electionization,” which extends far beyond the official campaigning period of a few weeks and lasts almost four years until the next election, shaping subjects, subjectivities, and sociopolitical formations. As she accurately observes, “instead of the nation staging elections, elections stage, or run, the country” (68).
In her book, Buyandelger further explores how electionization disproportionately favours incumbents and wealthy candidates, creating a huge financial burden for newcomers and women, because electoral campaigns extend beyond formal structures, and become integral to everyday life, serving functions traditionally associated with the state, welfare, and the private sector. Thus, as the author argues, most female candidates strive to shape themselves into electable candidates by pursuing particular techniques of “charging their brains” (tolgoigoo tsenegleh), framing themselves as intellectual (oyunlag), and showcasing new kinds of beautiful, feminine looks.
By thoroughly analyzing the phenomenon of electionization, Buyandelger shifts the research on neoliberalism from its dominant focus on economics to include politics more substantively. Overall, the concept of electionization in the Mongolian context suggests a fundamental change in the nature and impact of parliamentary elections, emphasizing the continuous and extensive impact on the lives of ordinary people.
The book’s research spans three phases, covering nonelection periods from 2005 to 2007, field observation during the 2008 and 2012 elections, and follow-up research on the 2016 election. It employs a tiered approach, with level one involving focused observation of key candidates, level two utilizing research assistants to cover several campaigns, and level three conducting interviews with various female candidates. By spending years immersing herself in the lives of the women she profiles, Buyandelger provides an authentic and intimate portrayal of their experiences. This not only adds depth to the narrative but also humanizes the subjects, making their stories relatable and compelling.
The book highlights the challenges faced by female candidates in the 2008 election due to changes in the election law, namely the repeal of the 30 percent quota for female candidates, shortened campaign periods, and larger constituencies. The 2012 election law, with its 20 percent quota for women, was more favourable to women, resulting in nine women winning seats in the parliament, three times more than the previous election. The author explores the “outside” performative aspects of campaigns in 2008 and the “inside,” often hidden politics of elections in 2012, providing a colourful and vibrant depiction of election campaigns in Ulaanbaatar and other localities. Her follow-up research in 2017 confirms the enduring impact of elections on people’s lives, manifested as electionization.
Buyandelger’s unique insights into the challenges faced by Mongolian women in politics, informed by her upbringing in socialist Mongolia and education in the US, make her book a significant contribution to the scarce English-language literature on Mongolia. Furthermore, her book helps readers explore the tensions and contradictions inherent in the transition from socialist regimes to democracy. A Thousand Steps to Parliament offers invaluable insights into the intricate connections between politics, gender, and societal transformation in Mongolia. Buyandelger’s blend of academic rigour and storytelling prowess makes this book a compelling read for anyone interested in gender studies, sociopolitical anthropology, political science, and Mongolian studies.
Oyunsuren Damdinsuren
National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar