Women play a key role in environmental protection and social and economic development in mountain areas. They are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity and keepers of traditional knowledge. Empowering rural women is crucial to eradicating hunger and poverty. Yet, due to discriminatory social norms, rural women still face more barriers than men in terms of access to strategic resources and the opportunity to raise their voices, which limits their potential as economic agents and resilience-builders.

This publication highlights the stories and voices of mountain women, with a focus on rural areas and mountain tourism, and outlines a path forward to promote their empowerment and help them to realize their potential as agents of sustainable mountain development. It includes on-the-ground interviews with mountain women in eight countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Italy, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and the United Republic of Tanzania) and the results of a global survey.

This study is published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, together with the Feminist Hiking Collective – a non-profit organization and transnational hub for feminist hikers, and a member of the Mountain Partnership. It marks the 2022 International Mountain Day theme, Women Move Mountains, and is also a contribution to the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022.