Central Asia faces a growing number of climate-related risks and hazards that disproportionately affect people based on gender. The development of mitigation and adaptation measures relies on the acquisition of extensive environmental data for evidence-based decision-making. STEM researchers and activists are needed to fill critical data and information gaps. The inclusion of women in STEM fields reinforces the quality of research and the diversity of perspectives. It also reduces gender inequalities by providing women with well-paid positions in society. However, the involvement of women in STEM has declined in Central Asia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and women must increasingly navigate contradicting discourses regarding their role in society. Measures are needed to reverse this trend, to promote women’s involvement in science, climate mitigation and resilience efforts, as well as to actively engage them in discussions on building sustainable mountain futures.

Since 2019, “Adventure of Science: Women and Glaciers in Central Asia” has been addressing these issues through annual tuition-free educational glaciological expeditions for women (18-25 y.o.) from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The expedition is led by a women-only team of instructor and mountain guide to offer a space free of stereotypical and traditional gender roles, still at play in regions of Central Asia. The annual 10-day expeditions foster women’s interest in environmental and outdoors fields and strengthen confidence in their physical and intellectual abilities. By involving participants from each Central Asian country, the project promotes the exchange of knowledge and experience across borders and builds up a transnational network of women researchers and activists.

With over 50 alumni the Adventure of Science continues to contribute towards a more sustainable future of this mountain region by stimulating local communities and fostering gender-balanced regional development.