Women Move Mountains International Mountain Day

International Mountain Day is an environmental calendar day that celebrates the importance of mountains. It's celebrated annually on the 11th of December. The theme for this year's International Mountain Day is “Women move Mountains” which is an opportunity to raise awareness for the need to empower women so they can participate more fully in decision-making processes and exercise control over productive resources.

Mountains are a freshwater resource and home to many different plants and animals that exist nowhere else. The biodiversity eco-system of mountains can support mountain communities in that it can provide food, medicine, and tourism opportunities. Most mountainous areas, however, are facing environmental deterioration because of soil erosion, landslides, and an expedient loss of genetic variety and habitat. Mountain residents have a high rate of poverty. To safeguard the biodiversity of mountains, action must be taken.

Women living in close proximity of mountains rely on local natural resources including water, firewood, and medicinal herbs. They serve as stewards of traditional knowledge linked to biodiversity management, especially in terms of preserving, enhancing and maintaining the natural environment by sustainably using forests and rangeland resources. Women and girls will bear the brunt of biodiversity loss in mountainous areas; thus they have a significant opportunity to influence biodiversity conservation and sustainable usage.

Long-term viability of biodiversity conservation and sustainable usage initiatives depends on enabling women's full participation in decision-making. Mountainous communities are urged to provide women more control over productive resources and participation in decision-making. Women can become a driving force in the fight against hunger, malnutrition, and rural poverty if they have access to and control over natural resources. They will also play a key role in the growth of the mountain economy. They can contribute novel approaches and methods to deal with issues related to biodiversity in mountainous environments.