Policy advice
Dr Dugarova has nearly 15 years of experience leading rigorous policy research, data analysis and evaluation of socio-economic issues, including poverty reduction, unemployment and social protection, while integrating intersectional considerations such as gender, age, rural/urban location, and race/ethnicity. At the United Nations, she has provided policy advice and technical support on gender mainstreaming to over 100 country offices.
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In 2020, Esuna created the Global Gender Response Tracker - an online data-driven tool that monitors and analyzes over 5,000 policy measures in 221 countries/territories, thereby informing decision-making and providing evidence for advocacy and accountability. The tracker has been widely used by policymakers, civil society and academia, and was rated among the top three of the world’s most significant policy tracker initiatives.
Esuna has also coordinated complex multi-stakeholder processes and developed new partnerships with governments, international organizations, private foundations, NGOs and academic institutions. She has also evaluated large-scale socio-economic proposals for the European Union and acted as a jury in the Swiss Network for International Studies. Based on her research, Esuna has authored over 50 publications, including technical reports, research articles and policy briefs. She is regularly invited to serve as a reviewer in high-impact journals such as The Lancet, World Development and Social Politics.
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Community action
In parallel with her policy work, Esuna is actively engaged in community action. She founded the Global Buryat Academy in October 2021 which sustains the endangered Buryat language and cultural heritage for current and future generations through educational, cultural and capacity development activities. The Academy offers lectures on Buryat history, culture and traditions, Buddhism, and Buryat and Mongolian language classes. It also strengthens the community by providing a trustful space for peer learning, knowledge exchange and self-reflection, while creating a sense of belonging and integrity based on shared values. As a head of the Academy, Esuna coordinates its activities, develops community relations across borders, and builds new partnerships. Contact the Buryat Academy to learn more.
In addition to community service, Esuna leads a scholarly project about Buryatia. It examines power relations, local agency and ethnocultural identity based on the case of the Buryat transnational community amid geopolitical and sociocultural transformations in the Eurasian space. Through archival records, interviews and fieldworks in Buryatia, Mongolia and India, this research seeks to deepen our understanding of heterogeneous post-colonial experiences, including from a gender perspective. The study serves to shape a more holistic ethnocultural landscape, while creating a more granular narrative that reveals intricate pathways and nontrivial forces that underlie transnational motion of knowledge, experiences and practices.
Mentorship
In her spare time, Esuna has provided tailored mentorship and consultations to individuals interested in professional growth, educational opportunities and personal development. She has also helped develop capacities of local grassroots organizations through sharing knowledge and resources, skills development, and connecting within the global network. Her mentees work in major international organizations, private companies and non-governmental organizations, study in high-ranking universities, and create their own startups and innovative solutions with positive impact.