International Mountain Day
11 December
The theme of this year’s International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December will be Women move mountains.
According to the UN, Women play a key role in mountains’ environmental protection and social and economic development. They are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity, keepers of traditional knowledge, custodians of local culture, and experts in traditional medicine.
Climate change, combined with a lack of investment in mountain agriculture and rural development, has frequently pushed men to migrate elsewhere in search of alternative livelihoods. As a result, women have taken on many tasks previously performed by men, but mountain women are often invisible due to a lack of decision-making power and unequal access to resources.
As farmers, market sellers, businesswomen, artisans, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, mountain women and girls, in particular in rural areas, have the potential to be major agents of change. When rural women have access to resources, services, and opportunities, they become a driving force against hunger, malnutrition, and rural poverty and are active in the development of mountain economies.
International Mountain Day 2022 is an opportunity to promote gender equality and therefore contribute to improving social justice, livelihoods and resilience.
While Women Move Mountains is the suggested theme for 2022, countries, communities, and organizations are free to celebrate IMD in their own way.
