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Gender issues in mountains


Women and men play key roles with respect to environmental protection and social and economic development in mountain areas.
Women are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity and the main actors in terms of agriculture, animal husbandry and other small scale economic activities. In mountain communities, women  are keepers of traditional knowledge, custodians of local culture and experts in traditional medicine.

However, women mountain dwellers are often invisible and their voices go unheard. They rarely participate in decisions affecting the management and use of local resources; they often lack basic rights, have little access to ownership and land tenure rights, education, health services and training. Since women and girls have less access to household resources, they are at a greater risk of hunger and malnutrition.

As men migrate to lowlands areas or abroad in search of better income, women are left to manage the farm and household and participate in small trade and income-earning activities. Yet lack of access to credit hampers efforts to improve or expand their farm activities and earn cash incomes. Inaccessibility shapes the lives of mountain communities. Further, the challenges men and women face in mountain regions is intensified by altitude, steep terrain and isolation.

Mountain women of the world

In 2022 and 2023, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat teamed up with the Feminist Hiking Collective – a non-profit organization and transnational hub for feminist hikers, and a member of the Mountain Partnership – on a social research project to identify the main challenges faced by mountain women and support their collective power, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic recovery. 

In-depth interviews were conducted with 313 mountain women in Argentina, Chile, Italy, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, the Plurinational State of Bolivia and the United Republic of Tanzania. The result of this collaboration was the publication of two reports, Mountain women of the world – Challenges, resilience and collective power and Mountain women of the world – Shaping change for the common good.

The Feminist Hiking Collective and the Mountain Women of the World Network are producing a documentary series on their interviews with the women in each country. Watch the videos here:

IMD celebrated in over 35 countries in 2018

IMD celebrated in over 35 countries in 2018

peak to peak

The February 2019 issue of Peak to Peak starts by discussing IMD 2018 celebrations that took place in over 35 countries. The newsletter continues with stories about revitalizing mountains through agriculture and tourism, and exploring mountain food systems. 

Peak to Peak provides a sampling of Mountain Partnership members’ activities and events...

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Photo of spring equinox festival in Iran wins International Mountain Day 2018 competition

Photo of spring equinox festival in Iran wins International Mountain Day 2018 competition

news

An image from a spring equinox festival on a mountain in Iran has won the annual International Mountain Day photography competition organized by FAO to heighten awareness of the importance of mountains worldwide.

Salar Arkan is the 2018 winner with the entry “Torches” — depicting a ceremonial torch lighting...

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The Indigenous Mountain Peoples Database is live!

The Indigenous Mountain Peoples Database is live!

news

The Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) in close collaboration with the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) has developed a database and an interactive map which connects indigenous mountain communities and the mountain range they inhabit.

The scope of this project is to raise awareness about indigenous mountain peoples...

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Touring the Pamir mountains

Touring the Pamir mountains

news

A group of Bartang women participated in a study tour in the Pamir mountains to learn about natural resource management, tourism and vocational training. The four-day study tour in Lower Bartang-Khorog-Ishkashim was organized from 24-27 September 2018 by Mountain Partnership member,  'The Little Earth' with support from the...

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Raising awareness of protected mountain areas

Raising awareness of protected mountain areas

news

The future of Indigenous and Community Conserved areas (ICCAs) was discussed by a variety of stakeholders including community members, NGOs, donor organizations and academics at the ICCA Consortium in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from 29-31 October 2018. The Mountain Societies Research Institute of the University of Central Asia (MSRI/UCA) and the...

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Our Journey 2017: Mountain Partnership Secretariat

Our Journey 2017: Mountain Partnership Secretariat

news

The Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) reflects on its key achievements in promoting sustainable mountain development last year in its 2017 annual report. “Our Journey 2017: Mountain Partnership Secretariat Annual Report”, the publication documents the Secretariat’s work in the areas of advocacy, communication and knowledge management, promoting International Mountain Day, brokering...

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