LandGirls took on all types of agricultural work while the Women's Timber Corps worked in the forests supplying wood for use in everything from railway sleepers to pit props.
The end of communism and the consequent unemployment have forced Mongolian men back to the traditional nomadic herding lifestyle of their forefathers - the men and boys are back on the land - the girls still in cities gaining that all-important schooling and eventually getting the jobs.
And as long as women and girls continue to suffer violence daily, are barred from owning land or running for office, are kept from schools and vital health services, and are unable to access credit and skills to run businesses and earn a living, our work will continue with increasing urgency.
The following year Makoni successfully procured a piece of land and opened the organization's first empowerment village, designed to provide a haven for girls who have been abused.