Abstract ID: 3.5381 | Accepted as Talk | Talk | TBA | TBA

Women play a key role in protecting the environment and in social and economic development in mountainous areas. They often are the main managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity, and custodians of traditional knowledge. Empowering rural women is crucial to eradicating hunger and poverty. However, due to discriminatory social norms, rural women still face more barriers than men in terms of accessing strategic resources and the opportunity to make their voices heard, limiting their potential as economic agents and builders of resilience. This publication highlights the stories and voices of mountain women, focusing on rural areas and mountain tourism, and charts a path forward to promote their empowerment and help them realize their potential as agents of sustainable development in the mountains. It includes field 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.