Private

WS 3.112

Engaging with Gender Geography to contribute to mountain studies

Session status: Accepted

Content last updated: 2025-09-25 22:16:15

Online available since: 2025-01-13 22:04:07

Details

Full Title
WS 3.112: Engaging with Gender Geography to contribute to mountain studies. Exploring gender power relations and inequalities in mountain areas through an inter
Scheduled
Talks & Session:
2025-09-17, 10:00 - 12:00 (LT), MCI – SR 303
Talks & Session:
2025-09-17, 10:00 - 12:00 (LT), MCI – SR 303
Convener
Ruiz Peyré, Fernando
Co-Convener(s)
Lamotte, Léa; and Moreno, Magdalena
Assigned to Synthesis Workshop
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Thematic Focus
#IMC25, Equality, Gender, Sustainable Development
Keywords
Gender, Feminism, Geographie of Sexualities

Description

Considering the lack of gender perspective on the mountain areas studies, we propose an interactive and creative workshop that encourages collective reflection on the relations of power and gender inequality that occur within these specific spatio-cultural contexts. By drawing upon the insights of critical and gender geographies, we aim to transcend the idyllic portrayal of mountains and to engage in a critical examination of how gender relations are manifested and expressed in mountain areas. The discussion will be based on the participants’ expertise in their respective research fields and/or personal experiences. The following two dimensions will be addressed: 1) gender identities in mountain areas, including the roles and vocabulary typically associated with those identities, and 2) a positionality exercise, which will prompt participants to reflect on their own identity as a researcher in mountain areas and how this positionality influences their research. To initiate this discussion, the session convenors will give a brief introduction and the participants will deliver their presentations. After that, we will encourage the joint discussion using the interactive-creative method of individual collage, based on the cutting out of images from used magazines, together with other free forms of expression (writing, drawing, etc.). This method, originated from feminist pedagogy, will enable participants to express themselves differently and to experiment another form of doing research, which will be facilitated by guiding questions and concluded by a group discussion.

Registered Abstracts

Before the first abstract is presented, the (co-)convener gives a short introduction of 5min to the session.

Date/time indicate the presentation; if available: the bracketed duration is added for end-of-presentation Q&A.

ID: 3.12032

|Huss, Sophia

MCI – SR 303

|

2025-09-17 10:05 - 10:10 (+2min)

Huss, Sophia

Himalayan Women Trail Leaders: Expanding Gender Equity in Nepal’s Mountain Trekking Tourism Industry

Huss, S.

de Jesus, M.; and Sherpa, M. D.

Abstract/Description

Gender equity is essential across all industries and holds particular importance in Nepal’s adventure tourism sector. However, societal norms, limited training opportunities, safety concerns, and cultural biases have long discouraged women from pursuing careers in Nepal’s male-dominated mountain trekking industry. Female guides face persistent discrimination that hinders both entry and advancement in the profession, despite consistently demonstrating their skills and expertise on the trail. The Himalayan Women Trail Leaders Initiative is a groundbreaking project that seeks to dismantle existing barriers by providing women with access to professional development opportunities while raising awareness about the importance of gender equity across the industry. This presentation examines impacts of the initiative, discussing key strategies for dismantling gender-based barriers and analyzing broader implications for gender equity in mountain tourism. By integrating insights from Nepali women guides, we will explore how targeted interventions can foster inclusivity, empowerment, equity, and sustainability in traditionally male-dominated mountain industries, ultimately enriching the mountain experience for all. Participants will be encouraged to discuss and reflect on their positionality as researchers, travelers, or industry professionals, and examine how gendered power dynamics are constructed, negotiated, and challenged in mountain tourism spaces.

ID: 3.10510

|Lamotte, Léa

MCI – SR 303

|

2025-09-17 10:12 - 10:17 (+2min)

Lamotte, Léa

Backpack, maté and (a lot of) weight: (stories) and analysis of porters’ masculinities in Torres el Paine, Chile

Lamotte, L.

Abstract/Description

Torres del Paine National Park is a protected area located in the Magallanes region of Southern Chilean Patagonia, whose “snow-capped peaks, granite towers and extensive glaciers (…) surrounded by lakes” (Ceruti, 2020) have symbolic importance in the cosmovision of indigenous peoples and in the constant growth of tourism in Patagonia, associated with imaginaries of freedom, adventure and “extreme” nature. Hiking in Torres del Paine is not “high-altitude mountaineering” as in the Himalayas : it involves trekking in structured circuits, lasting between 1 and 7 days – which is a different approach to most of the Himalayan tourism as it does not aim for a summit, but rather “being with the mountain” (Sherpherd, 2021). The objective of this presentation is to share the results of a preliminary investigation that interrogates the masculinities of porters working at Torres del Paine, thanks to data from interviews, fieldwork notes and references to “mountain literature”, and based on a theoretical-methodological framework that places the body, understood as “material and social vehicle” and the primary territory of analysis, in which what affects the territory also affects the body, and vice-versa (Ulloa, 2021). The presentation aims to offer food for thought on the construction of the masculine identities and sexualities in mountain areas, based on the stories of these porters, for whom physical effort and fraternity is central in their daily work. We will examine the role of the body and physical emotions/sensations, as their (sensitive) relationships with “nature” in the “building” of their masculinities. We will also examine the invisibilization of these porters in the circuits, who are experiencing power imbalances within a system of capitalist tourism.

ID: 3.13675

|Ghilardi Truffa, Juan Cruz

MCI – SR 303

|

2025-09-17 10:19 - 10:24 (+2min)

Ghilardi Truffa, Juan Cruz

Coming from the Cold (II): Addressing the Challenges of Remote Cryosphere Fieldwork in the Andes and Antarctica from a Gender Perspective

Ghilardi Truffa, J. C.

Araya, P.; Lana, S.; Zalazar, L.; and Valenzuela-Astudillo, H.

Abstract/Description

Remote fieldwork is a fundamental aspect of cryosphere research in the physical and social sciences. While studies in polar sciences have shed light on the barriers and complex challenges faced by emerging and early-career researchers from underrepresented groups, similar discussions remain scarce in other remote mountain environments, such as the Andes and Antarctica. This study extends previous work conducted in polar regions to the Andes, a region with distinct sociocultural dynamics, identities, and histories. Despite increasing diversity in scientific communities, barriers to equitable participation persist. Multiple factors associated with the interplay between people and remote field working environments can escalate, resulting in harmful and unwanted behaviour toward field members and the science they carry out. Through a literature review and an extensive survey that covers multiple aspects, we analysed the experiences of diverse researchers conducting fieldwork in the remote Andean and Antarctica cryosphere. Using existing networks, we gather insights on key challenges, including team dynamics, communication, gendered work expectations, personal safety, and accessibility. As has been done in polar sciences, we aim to determine whether certain fieldwork challenges disproportionately affect underrepresented groups, particularly regarding logistical constraints, sexism, and inadequate support structures. However, given the distinct sociocultural context of the Andes, we also expect to identify new and emerging challenges specific to this environment. Beyond documenting these experiences, our study seeks to foster reflection, debate, and the development of concrete solutions to improve fieldwork conditions.While focusing on gendered experiences, it also contributes to a broader discussion on equity, diversity, and inclusion in Andean and Antarctica cryosphere research. Addressing these challenges is essential to fostering a more inclusive scientific community and improving the quality, accessibility, and impact of Andean cryosphere studies.

ID: 3.13704

|Valenzuela Astudillo, Helena

MCI – SR 303

|

2025-09-17 10:26 - 10:31 (+2min)

Valenzuela Astudillo, Helena

Coming from the Cold (II): Addressing the Challenges of Remote Cryosphere Fieldwork in the Andes and Antarctica from a Gender Perspective

Valenzuela Astudillo, H.

Ghilardi Truffa, J. C.; Araya, P.; Lana, S.; and Zalazar, L.

Abstract/Description

Remote fieldwork is a fundamental aspect of cryosphere research in the physical and social sciences. While studies in polar sciences have shed light on the barriers and complex challenges faced by emerging and early-career researchers from underrepresented groups, similar discussions remain scarce in other remote mountain environments, such as the Andes and Antarctica. This study extends previous work conducted in polar regions to the Andes, a region with distinct sociocultural dynamics, identities, and histories. Despite increasing diversity in scientific communities, barriers to equitable participation persist. Multiple factors associated with the interplay between people and remote field working environments can escalate, resulting in harmful and unwanted behaviour toward field members and the science they carry out. Through a literature review and an extensive survey that covers multiple aspects, we analysed the experiences of diverse researchers conducting fieldwork in the remote Andean and Antarctica cryosphere. Using existing networks, we gather insights on key challenges, including team dynamics, communication, gendered work expectations, personal safety, and accessibility. As has been done in polar sciences, we aim to determine whether certain fieldwork challenges disproportionately affect underrepresented groups, particularly regarding logistical constraints, sexism, and inadequate support structures. However, given the distinct sociocultural context of the Andes, we also expect to identify new and emerging challenges specific to this environment. Beyond documenting these experiences, our study seeks to foster reflection, debate, and the development of concrete solutions to improve fieldwork conditions. While focusing on gendered experiences, it also contributes to a broader discussion on equity, diversity, and inclusion in Andean and Antarctica cryosphere research. Addressing these challenges is essential to fostering a more inclusive scientific community and improving the quality, accessibility, and impact of Andean cryosphere studies.

Submitted Abstracts

ID: 3.5381

Mountain women of the world: Challenges, resilience and collective power.

Patriia Breuer Moreno
Ghizzo, Elena; Richmond, Lucy; Ryan, Ria; Carmody Lobo, Stephanie

Abstract/Description

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.

ID: 3.10510

Backpack, maté and (a lot of) weight: (stories) and analysis of porters’ masculinities in Torres el Paine, Chile

Léa Lamotte

Abstract/Description

Torres del Paine National Park is a protected area located in the Magallanes region of Southern Chilean Patagonia, whose “snow-capped peaks, granite towers and extensive glaciers (…) surrounded by lakes” (Ceruti, 2020) have symbolic importance in the cosmovision of indigenous peoples and in the constant growth of tourism in Patagonia, associated with imaginaries of freedom, adventure and “extreme” nature. Hiking in Torres del Paine is not “high-altitude mountaineering” as in the Himalayas : it involves trekking in structured circuits, lasting between 1 and 7 days – which is a different approach to most of the Himalayan tourism as it does not aim for a summit, but rather “being with the mountain” (Sherpherd, 2021). The objective of this presentation is to share the results of a preliminary investigation that interrogates the masculinities of porters working at Torres del Paine, thanks to data from interviews, fieldwork notes and references to “mountain literature”, and based on a theoretical-methodological framework that places the body, understood as “material and social vehicle” and the primary territory of analysis, in which what affects the territory also affects the body, and vice-versa (Ulloa, 2021). The presentation aims to offer food for thought on the construction of the masculine identities and sexualities in mountain areas, based on the stories of these porters, for whom physical effort and fraternity is central in their daily work. We will examine the role of the body and physical emotions/sensations, as their (sensitive) relationships with “nature” in the “building” of their masculinities. We will also examine the invisibilization of these porters in the circuits, who are experiencing power imbalances within a system of capitalist tourism.

ID: 3.12032

Himalayan Women Trail Leaders: Expanding Gender Equity in Nepal’s Mountain Trekking Tourism Industry

Sophia Huss
de Jesus, Marinel; Sherpa, Mingmar Dolma

Abstract/Description

Gender equity is essential across all industries and holds particular importance in Nepal’s adventure tourism sector. However, societal norms, limited training opportunities, safety concerns, and cultural biases have long discouraged women from pursuing careers in Nepal’s male-dominated mountain trekking industry. Female guides face persistent discrimination that hinders both entry and advancement in the profession, despite consistently demonstrating their skills and expertise on the trail. The Himalayan Women Trail Leaders Initiative is a groundbreaking project that seeks to dismantle existing barriers by providing women with access to professional development opportunities while raising awareness about the importance of gender equity across the industry. This presentation examines impacts of the initiative, discussing key strategies for dismantling gender-based barriers and analyzing broader implications for gender equity in mountain tourism. By integrating insights from Nepali women guides, we will explore how targeted interventions can foster inclusivity, empowerment, equity, and sustainability in traditionally male-dominated mountain industries, ultimately enriching the mountain experience for all. Participants will be encouraged to discuss and reflect on their positionality as researchers, travelers, or industry professionals, and examine how gendered power dynamics are constructed, negotiated, and challenged in mountain tourism spaces.

ID: 3.13675

Coming from the Cold (II): Addressing the Challenges of Remote Cryosphere Fieldwork in the Andes and Antarctica from a Gender Perspective

Juan Cruz Ghilardi Truffa
Araya, Paola; Lana, Sofía; Zalazar, Laura; Valenzuela-Astudillo, Helena

Abstract/Description

Remote fieldwork is a fundamental aspect of cryosphere research in the physical and social sciences. While studies in polar sciences have shed light on the barriers and complex challenges faced by emerging and early-career researchers from underrepresented groups, similar discussions remain scarce in other remote mountain environments, such as the Andes and Antarctica. This study extends previous work conducted in polar regions to the Andes, a region with distinct sociocultural dynamics, identities, and histories. Despite increasing diversity in scientific communities, barriers to equitable participation persist. Multiple factors associated with the interplay between people and remote field working environments can escalate, resulting in harmful and unwanted behaviour toward field members and the science they carry out. Through a literature review and an extensive survey that covers multiple aspects, we analysed the experiences of diverse researchers conducting fieldwork in the remote Andean and Antarctica cryosphere. Using existing networks, we gather insights on key challenges, including team dynamics, communication, gendered work expectations, personal safety, and accessibility. As has been done in polar sciences, we aim to determine whether certain fieldwork challenges disproportionately affect underrepresented groups, particularly regarding logistical constraints, sexism, and inadequate support structures. However, given the distinct sociocultural context of the Andes, we also expect to identify new and emerging challenges specific to this environment. Beyond documenting these experiences, our study seeks to foster reflection, debate, and the development of concrete solutions to improve fieldwork conditions.While focusing on gendered experiences, it also contributes to a broader discussion on equity, diversity, and inclusion in Andean and Antarctica cryosphere research. Addressing these challenges is essential to fostering a more inclusive scientific community and improving the quality, accessibility, and impact of Andean cryosphere studies.

ID: 3.13704

Coming from the Cold (II): Addressing the Challenges of Remote Cryosphere Fieldwork in the Andes and Antarctica from a Gender Perspective

Helena Valenzuela Astudillo
Ghilardi Truffa, Juan Cruz; Araya, Paola; Lana, Sofía; Zalazar, Laura

Abstract/Description

Remote fieldwork is a fundamental aspect of cryosphere research in the physical and social sciences. While studies in polar sciences have shed light on the barriers and complex challenges faced by emerging and early-career researchers from underrepresented groups, similar discussions remain scarce in other remote mountain environments, such as the Andes and Antarctica. This study extends previous work conducted in polar regions to the Andes, a region with distinct sociocultural dynamics, identities, and histories. Despite increasing diversity in scientific communities, barriers to equitable participation persist. Multiple factors associated with the interplay between people and remote field working environments can escalate, resulting in harmful and unwanted behaviour toward field members and the science they carry out. Through a literature review and an extensive survey that covers multiple aspects, we analysed the experiences of diverse researchers conducting fieldwork in the remote Andean and Antarctica cryosphere. Using existing networks, we gather insights on key challenges, including team dynamics, communication, gendered work expectations, personal safety, and accessibility. As has been done in polar sciences, we aim to determine whether certain fieldwork challenges disproportionately affect underrepresented groups, particularly regarding logistical constraints, sexism, and inadequate support structures. However, given the distinct sociocultural context of the Andes, we also expect to identify new and emerging challenges specific to this environment. Beyond documenting these experiences, our study seeks to foster reflection, debate, and the development of concrete solutions to improve fieldwork conditions. While focusing on gendered experiences, it also contributes to a broader discussion on equity, diversity, and inclusion in Andean and Antarctica cryosphere research. Addressing these challenges is essential to fostering a more inclusive scientific community and improving the quality, accessibility, and impact of Andean cryosphere studies.

WS 3.111: Elevating mountains in the IPCC seventh assessment (AR7): addressing assessment-relevant knowledge needs

CANCELLED! WS 3.113: Training the next generation of Mountain leaders: Sharing lessons learned for collaboration on Mountain Field Schools.

#IMC | Innsbruck, Austria

September 10 - 14 2028

#IMC | Innsbruck, Austria

Sep 10 - 14 2028

WS 3.112

Engaging with Gender Geography to contribute to mountain studies

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