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.
![]() 2030 Agenda for Mountains - Framework for ActionpublicationOn International Mountain Day (11 December) 2017, a Framework for Action to support concrete actions, put in place long-lasting processes, and establish policies to strengthen the resilience of mountain peoples and environments was launched at the fifth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership. The Framework will aim to ensure that sustainable... Download » |
![]() Resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya: Developing Solutions towards a Sustainable Future for AsiaeventThe International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), jointly with the Ministry of Population and Environment of Nepal and with support from the European Union, is hosting an international conference titled “Resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya: Developing Solutions towards a Sustainable Future for Asia” on 3-6 December in Kathmandu,... Read more » |
![]() First West African Mountain Forum held in TogonewsThe first West African Mountain Forum was held in Kpalime, Togo on 5-8 October 2017. Although West African mountains are not the world’s highest, they have a key role for the food security of the area, are rich in biodiversity and are important to the overall sustainable development of the... Read more » |
![]() Mountains to be featured at UNFCCC COP 23peak to peakIssue 110 – Month 11 – Year 2017 The November issue of Peak to Peak announces the two side events organized within the framework of the Mountain Partnership that will take place during the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the United Nations Framework... Download » |
![]() Joint advocacy for mountain women at the UNnewsA round table of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) was held at Utah Valley University (UVU) on 2 October 2017 in Utah, United States of America. The event discussed possible joint efforts between the NGOs and... Read more » |
![]() 1st West African Mountain ForumeventWest Africa is a sub-region that has an abundance of ecosystems, including - among others - mountains. Although not necessarily impressive in terms of altitude, West African mountains are high in biodiversity, and they play an important role in the overall sustainable development of the sub-region. Many West African communities... Read more » |
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