Women Move Mountains

“Climbing the Everest was certainly more difficult than I thought, but my willpower to prove that a tribal girl can do something kept me going.”- Poorna Malavath. The United Nations (UN) clearly makes the case regarding International Mountain Day which is observed on December 11 each year. The International Mountain Day has its roots in 1992, when the adoption of Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment and Development, puts a milestone in the history of mountain development. The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the UN General Assembly to declare 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. On this occasion, the UN General Assembly has designated 11 December, from 2003 onwards, as “International Mountain Day”. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the coordinating agency for the preparation and animation of this celebration (IMD) and is mandated to lead observance of it at the global level. The Water and Mountains Team of the FAO Forestry Department is responsible for coordinating this international process. According to the UN, mountains are home to 15% of the world´s population and host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots. They provide freshwater for everyday life to half of humanity. Did you know that of the 20 plant species that supply 80% of the world's food, six originated and have been diversified in mountains: maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes, and apples? Their conservation is a key factor for sustainable development. Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from climate change and overexploitation. As the global climate continues to warm, mountain people, some of the world’s poorest, face even greater struggles to survive. The rising temperatures also mean that mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, affecting freshwater supplies downstream for millions of people. This problem affects us all. We must reduce our carbon footprint and take care of these natural treasures. Carbon Footprint A carbon footprint estimates the total emission volume of greenhouse gases, those gases in our atmosphere that trap and release heat, and contribute to climate change. It includes direct emissions, such as those that result from fossil-fuel combustion in manufacturing, heating, and transportation, as well as emissions required to produce the electricity associated with goods and services consumed. In addition, the carbon footprint concept also often includes the emissions of other greenhouse gases, such as methane, nitrous oxide, or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the UN to declare 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. The first international day was celebrated for the first time the following year, 2003. The theme of this year's International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December is Women Move Mountains. In a matriarchal society such as Jamaica, we are very much aware that women move mountains. 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. Increasing climate variability, coupled with a lack of investment in mountain agriculture and rural development, has often pushed men to migrate elsewhere in search of alternative livelihoods. Women have therefore taken on many tasks formerly done by men, yet 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. As men in mountains migrate to urban centres, women stay behind, managing natural resources, households, communities and everyday survival. In some mountain societies, women and girls may be more vulnerable to food insecurity due to discriminatory socio-cultural norms and gender stereotypes. Living and Working In The Mountains Mountains are home to 15 percent of the world’s population. Ninety percent of the world’s mountain dwellers live in developing countries, where a vast majority lives below the poverty line and 1 out of 2 faces the threat of food insecurity. Mountains are places of tourism and cultural trails. Mountain tourism accounts for about 15–20 percent of the global tourism industry. Indigenous and local populations in mountains have unique and valuable local knowledge, traditions and cultural practices that can contribute to effective land management strategies. Mountain farming is largely family farming as mountain areas, with their dispersed patches of usable land at different elevations and slope conditions, are more efficiently managed by small scale farming. Most of the production of mountain farming is for family consumption, playing a key role in ensuring household food security. The production and marketing of high-value mountain products can boost local mountain economies. Mountain livelihoods tend to be highly diversified and this has proven to be a key to resilience. Some family members may work in agriculture (farming, forestry, aquaculture or animal husbandry) and may be employed on a regular or seasonal basis or even abroad. Food and Agriculture Organization According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), mountains cover around 27 percent of the earth's land surface. The FAO states that mountains play a critical role in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth. Mountains not only provide sustenance and well-being to 1.1 billion mountain people around the world but also indirectly benefit billions more living downstream. Mountains provide freshwater, energy and food - resources that will be increasingly scarce in coming decades. Caribbean The mountains of the Caribbean are remarkably, but many have been mined, quarried, and deforested to build cities and economies. Quarrying and deforestation for agriculture have significantly degraded and altered the functions of watersheds to downstream wetlands and coastal ecosystems, and the human communities. The degradation through slash and burn and the efforts of reforestation and quarrying experience in the Caribbean have resulted in erosion, water pollution, habitat, and biodiversity loss. The largest mountain peak in the Caribbean is in the Dominican Republic. Pico Duarte stands just over 10,000 ft attracting thousands of hikers every year. Pico Duarte is named after one of the founding fathers of Dominic Republic – Juan Pablo Duarte. The mountain ranges of Hispaniola, in fact, hold five of the highest summits in the Caribbean. Following them are the Blue Mountains of Jamaica at over 7000 feet, and home to the world-famous Blue Mountain coffee. Cuba then makes the list with Pico Turquino at 6500 feet. There are 345 named mountains in Jamaica. The highest and the most prominent mountain is Blue Mountain Peak at 7, 402 feet. The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park has since 2015 been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park stretches across four of the island's eastern parishes: St. Andrew, Portland, St. Thomas and St. Mary. Mountainous Path International Mountain Day 2022 is an opportunity to promote gender equality and therefore contribute to improving social justice, livelihoods and resilience.  The UN recommends that International Mountain Day be celebrated in communities with friends by joining the conversation on social media using the hashtag #MountainsMatter. Celebrate mountain day in the best way possible! Visit a mountain! In the words of Bachendri Pal, the problem with women in the country is that when they are faced with challenges like say climbing a mountain they feel oh! I am a woman and I cannot do this. You have to give up this attitude to survive and fight in life be it climbing a mountain or fighting for own sense of security. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #InternationalMountainDay #MountainsMatter