News

Collective project building transnational network of mountain women

27.01.2021

News and photo by the Feminist Hiking Collective

A group of mountain women from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Nepal, Tanzania and the United Kingdom are gathering to climb the Aconcagua mountain in Argentina. The "Mountain Women of the World" project aims to build a transnational network of mountain women and to organize its first expedition to the Aconcagua mountain from December 2021 to January 2022. The project's goal is to build mountain women's collective feminist leadership and to narrate a collective mountaineering story, strengthening economic equality for mountain women and foregrounding the collective knowledge and experience of mountain women in protecting mountains and nature.

Mountain Women of the World is a collaboration by Mujeres a la Cumbre from Argentina and Chile, Feminist Hiking Collective from Europe, and Empowering Women of Nepal from Nepal, with the groups Women Who Hike from Kenya, Kilimanjaro Women from Tanzania, and Cholitas Escaladoras from Bolivia.

Mountain women - such as women guides, porters, mountain workers, hikers and women living in mountainous areas - from different countries and backgrounds will gather at the Aconcagua. Some of the women participating are indigenous women living and working in the Andes. Others are local women working as guides and porters from the Himalayas to Mount Kilimajaro, from the Dolomites to Mount Kenya.

The support network of mountain women created before and following the expedition will serve as a tool to support and connect mountain women and facilitate cultural exchange; sharing skills, knowledge and learning; strengthening resilience; creating new collaborative work opportunities and shared projects; and promoting economic equality. The partner organizations and groups will prepare in their respective countries. Upon their return, the participating women will seek to share their experience in their communities with wider groups of mountain women.

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Watch the project video