- Better access to jobs and political representation for mountain women can fight forced labour while ensuring natural resources are better managed
- Ministers, civil society groups and farmers gathering in Austria deliberating on the role of women in mountain regions
Alpbach, Austria, 20 April 2017 –Women are uniquely disadvantaged in mountainous areas, yet greater rights and access to jobs can not only improve their situation but also ensure vital natural resources are better managed, ministers and civil society have affirmed at the ‘role of women in mountain regions’ conference taking place 18-19 April.
Global progress in women’s rights has taken place slower than average among the poor and in remote areas - including mountainous regions. Unequal rights mean women are more likely than men to face poverty and be vulnerable to environmental disasters.
During flooding for example, women may depend on decision-making by men rather than take action themselves. Without social security safety nets, they are then exposed to gender-based violence and human trafficking. In Nepal, 12-20,000 women are abducted into forced labour and brothel-based sex work each year, with the poor at particular risk.
At the same time, women are more likely than men in mountainous regions to carry out agricultural activities like animal husbandry – more than 50% do so – while also tending to work longer days than men. As a result, women play a stronger role in the management of key natural resources linked to biodiversity and food and water security.
“Women are vital to the protection of mountain ecosystems,” said UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim in a video message, welcoming conference participants. “Yet they are also very vulnerable – they lack access to education and resources and are victims of discrimination and political exclusion. Women need to be at the centre of political strategies to protect mountain ecosystems and communities, to ensure a better life for them and a healthier planet for us all,” he underlined.
“As mountain populations dwindle, in order to protect the environment we need to support women, as they are more likely to stay in rural areas rather than move to the city” stressed Austrian Environment Minister Andrä Rupprechter. "Women are most engaged in rural mountain areas, because they are particularly sensitive to environmental change and are therefore willing to stand-up for their home region. To do so, they need adequate support and the possibility to network," he underlined.
Measures should be taken at regional, national and local levels to improve women’s access to the labour market and representation in relevant fora, an alliance of countries, civil society groups and gender experts agreed in a declaration issued in Alpbach today. Emerging markets for high-value products such as amaranth and quinoa or even standard ones like vegetables and flowers can offer opportunities for salaried work.
Greater financial resources should also be made available to cover children’s day care that frees up women’s time, the declaration states, while greater support should also be in place for men to fulfil their family and caring responsibilities.
Universities and schools should meanwhile teach about women’s multiple roles in mountain areas, it argues, while greater research on the topic should be carried out and contribute to increasing women and girl’s perspectives and scope of action.
International organisations are called on to help ensure that women can enjoy good quality work, family time and other activities without them compromising each other. A platform is furthermore called for to exchange information and experiences on women’s manifold roles and experiences in mountain regions
A positive example of how women’s empowerment and natural resource management go hand-in-hand can be seen in the Tien Shan mountains. In Kyrgyzstan, a training and micro-credit scheme has enabled women to purchase equipment such as cameras and binoculars and become mountain rangers. By discouraging men from hunting endangered species, poaching levels of five endangered mammals - including the snow leopard and white-clouded bear - have dropped significantly as a result.
An added benefit of women’s empowerment may be that it stems rural exodus. Women are less likely to down tools in rural areas and seek work in cities. In the Hunza region of Pakistan for example, 76% of households surveyed in 2014 showed had members leaving the valley, with 99% of these migrants being men.
With the right encouragement and funding, women’s contribution to environmental protection can be huge. In turn, greater ownership of natural resources by women can improve their economic and political situation.
For more information please contact matthias.jurek@unep.org +43 1 26060 4326
