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Women are key players in biodiversity conservation in mountainous regions

31 March 2025 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Andre Damons

Alia Datoo-Eliakeney Njau — Alia Datoo from the Mountain Women of the World Network, and Eliakeney Njau, founder and senior mountain guide of Kilimanjaro Wanderwomen Tours, at the Southern African Mountain Conference.

Mountain women play a pivotal role in environmental protection and socio-economic development in mountainous regions and are integral to the sustainability of fragile mountain ecosystems. However, research shows that these women face multiple and diverse challenges, including gender-based discrimination and restricted access to entrepreneurial and educational opportunities.

This research, which provides critical insights into the lives of mountain women, their challenges, and opportunities for empowerment, was presented by Alia Datoo, Founder of Women who Hike-Africa (Kenya) Ltd and part of the Mountain Women of the World Network, at the Second Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC2025) taking place at the Champagne Sports Resort in the Drakensberg.

The SAMC events are conceptualised by the Afromontane Research Unit of the University of the Free State (UFS), the African Mountain Research Foundation, and Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS) – a joint initiative between Eurac Research and the UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security. SAMC2025 is held under the patronage of UNESCO.

Mountain Women of the World is a collaborative network founded in 2020 by non-profit organisation Empowering Women of Nepal, non-profit organisation Feminist Hiking Collective, groups Kilimanjaro Women and las Cholitas Escaladoras de Bolivia, and the enterprises Mujeres a la Cumbre, Women Who Hike-Africa and Topchu Art Group from Kyrgyzstan.

This initiative aims to promote a transnational network of mountain women, to build mountain women's collective feminist leadership, strengthen economic justice, narrate a collective mountaineering story and foreground the collective knowledge and experience of mountain women in protecting mountains.

Datoo said their research underscores the stories and voices of mountain women, highlighting the multiple and diverse challenges they face, particularly in rural areas and within the mountain tourism sector. Despite the differences in geography and culture, many of the challenges mountain women face are strikingly similar, she said.

Greater recognition, resources, and representation for mountain women

“We did extensive in-person interviews with 313 women across eight mountain nations, including Argentina, Chile, Italy, Kenia, Kyrgyzstan, Bolivia, Nepal, and Tanzania. This research is crucial because it sheds light on the often-overlooked role of mountain women –not just as custodians of their communities but as key contributors to biodiversity, conservation, local economies, and cultural heritage.

“Yet their voices are rarely included in policy-making and development initiatives. By highlighting their stories, struggles, and contributions, this research advocates for greater recognition, resources, and representation for mountain women globally,” said Datoo.

Through this research, they presented a road map for the empowerment of mountain women, emphasising the need for inclusive policies, enhanced training and educational opportunities, and support for entrepreneurial ventures. By dismantling barriers to equality and amplifying the voices of these women, a more sustainable and inclusive future for mountainous regions can be fostered.

Though there is not a single definitive number of how many women live and work in mountainous areas, as these populations are spread across different continents, each with unique demographics, global estimates suggest that nearly 1 billion people live in mountain regions, with women comprising a significant percentage of this population. Many of these women engage in agriculture, conservation, tourism, and trade, often in conditions of economic hardship, climate vulnerability, and limited access to resources.

What the research found

“Our research revealed that mountain women are not just survivors of hardship – they are architects of resilience, community leaders, and powerful changemakers. Yet, they continue to face systemic barriers that limit their full potential.”

These women, Datoo continued, shoulder immense responsibilities – as caregivers, food providers, economic contributors, and protectors of cultural heritage – but often without recognition, resources, or decision-making power. Economic exclusion is a significant challenge as many mountain women engage in small-scale farming, trade, and artisanal crafts, yet they lack access to fair markets, financial support, or training opportunities to scale their work.

“Despite limited access to formal education or leadership roles, mountain women have built strong, self-sustaining networks – through women’s groups, cooperative savings, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing. Traditional gender roles and societal norms remain deeply entrenched. These women are not waiting for permission. Whether through grassroots organising, entrepreneurship, or informal leadership, mountain women are already driving change within their communities – often with little external support,” said Datoo.

“ We must take action to ensure that women in mountain communities have the resources, opportunities, and recognition they deserve for building a more inclusive and resilient future.

A world without mountain women

According to Datoo, the disappearance or displacement of mountain women would be nothing short of catastrophic – not just for their communities, but for the world. It would mean the loss of an entire ecosystem of knowledge, labour, culture, and resilience that sustains both people and nature.

Mountain women are the keepers of ancestral wisdom in sustainable farming, herbal medicine, textile-making, and survival skills. Without them, irreplaceable traditional knowledge would vanish. Without these women, entire communities would face financial ruin as they economic drivers – from handicrafts and farming to ecotourism and trade.

Simply put – mountain women are not just participants in their communities; they are the backbone. Their presence is not just beneficial – it is essential to the survival, sustainability, and future of mountain societies.

Challenges

According to Datoo, one key challenge was that many women, particularly from indigenous and rural communities, were accustomed to receiving immediate benefits in exchange for participation. Conducting these interviews required patience, cultural awareness, and a deep sense of respect.

Some of the key challenges included:

• Language Barriers – Many women spoke indigenous dialects, requiring trusted local interpreters to ensure clarity and accuracy.

• Geographical Access – Some communities were in remote, high-altitude areas, making travel and logistics physically demanding.

• Cultural Sensitivities – In certain societies, women are not traditionally encouraged to share their perspectives openly, so we had to create safe, trust-based environments for dialogue.

• Emotional Depth – Listening to their struggles – whether related to climate hardships, gender inequality, or economic marginalisation – was deeply moving and, at times, heartbreaking.

Action needed

These studies have provided critical insights into the lives of mountain women; however, research alone is not enough. With this research, we hope to ensure that mountain women are not overlooked but actively included in economic, environmental, and leadership policies at local, national, and global levels.

“We must take action to ensure that women in mountain communities have the resources, opportunities, and recognition they deserve for building a more inclusive and resilient future. Policies need to be strengthened, and women’s contributions recognised through land rights, financial inclusion, and gender-sensitive programmes.

“Women often serve as primary managers of resources, guardians of biodiversity, and custodians of traditional knowledge. However, entrenched discriminatory social norms continue to restrict their access to strategic resources, leadership roles, and equal opportunities, limiting their potential to act as economic agents and builders of resilience,” said Datoo.

Global challenges such as economic downturns, climate change, and the lingering effects of COVID-19 have further deepened their vulnerability. Without action, more women will be pushed out of mountain economies, further marginalising their essential contributions.

News Archive

Bloemfontein's quality of tap water compares very favourably with bottled water

2009-08-04

The quality of the drinking water of five suburbs in Bloemfontein is at least as good as or better than bottled water. This is the result of a standard and chemical bacterial analysis done by the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Centre for Environmental Management in collaboration with the Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS).

Five samples were taken from tap water sources in the suburbs of Universitas, Brandwag, Bain’s Vlei, Langenhoven Park and Bayswater and 15 samples were taken of different brands of still and unflavoured bottled water. The samples were analysed at the laboratory of the IGS, while the interpretation of the analysis was done by the Centre for Environmental Management.

“We wanted to evaluate the difference in quality for human consumption between tap water and that of the different brands of bottled water,” said Prof. Maitland Seaman, Head of the Centre for Environmental Management.

“With the exception of two samples produced by multinational companies at their plants in South Africa, the different brands of bottled water used for the study were produced by South African companies, including a local small-scale Bloemfontein producer,” said Prof. Seaman.

According to the labels, the sources of the water vary from pure spring water, to partial reverse osmosis (as an aid to standardise salt, i.e. mineral, content), to only reverse osmosis (to remove salts). (Reverse osmosis is a process in which water is forced under pressure through a pipe with minute pores through which water passes but no – or very low concentrations of – salts pass.)

According to Prof. Seaman, the analysis revealed some interesting findings, such as:

• It is generally accepted that drinking water should have an acceptable level of salt content, as the body needs salts. Most mineral contents were relatively higher in the tap water samples than the bottled water samples and were very much within the acceptable range of drinkable water quality. One of the bottled samples, however, had a very low mineral content, as the water was produced by reverse osmosis, as stated on the bottle. While reverse osmosis is used by various producers, most producers use it as an aid, not as a single method to remove nearly all the salts. Drinking only such water over a prolonged period may probably have a negative effect on the human physiology.

• The pH values of the tap water samples (8,12–8,40) were found to be slightly higher (slightly alkaline), like in all south-eastern Free State rivers (from where the water is sourced) than the pH of most of the bottled water samples, most of which are sourced and/or treated in other areas. Two brands of bottled water were found to have relatively low pH levels (both 4,5, i.e. acidic) as indicated on their bottles and as confirmed by the IGS analysis. The health implication of this range of pH is not significant.

• The analysis showed differences in the mineral content given on the labels of most of the water bottles compared to that found by IGS analysis. The possibility of seasonal fluctuation in content, depending on various factors, is expected and most of the bottling companies also indicate this on their labels. What was a rather interesting finding was that two pairs of bottled water brands claimed exactly the same mineral content but appeared under different brand names and were also priced differently. In each case, one of the pair was a well-known house brand, and the other obviously the original producer. In one of these paired cases, the house brand stated that the water was spring water, while the other (identical) “original” brand stated that it was spring water treated by reverse osmosis and oxygen-enriched.

• Nitrate (NO3) levels were uniformly low except in one bottled sample, suggesting a low (non-threatening) level of organic pollution in the source water. Otherwise, none of the water showed any sign of pollution.

• The bacterial analysis confirmed the absence of any traces of coliforms or E.coli in any of the samples, as was also indicated by the bottling companies. This is very reassuring. What is not known is how all these waters were sterilised, which could be anything from irradiation to chlorine or ozone treatment.

• The price of the different brands of bottled water, each containing 500 ml of still water, ranged between R3,99 and R8,99, with R5,03 being the average price. A comparison between the least expensive and the most expensive bottles of water indicated no significant difference in quality. In fact, discrepancies were observed in the most expensive bottle in that the amount of Calcium (Ca) claimed to be present in it was found to be significantly different from what the analysis indicated (29,6 mg/l versus 0,92 mg/l). The alkalinity (CaCO3 mg/l) indicated on the bottle was also found to differ considerably (83 mg/l versus 9,4 mg/l). The concentration of Total Dissolved Salts (TDS) was not given on the product.

“The preference for bottled water as compared to Bloemfontein’s tap water from a qualitative perspective as well as the price discrepancy is unjustifiable. The environmental footprint of bottled water is also large. Sourcing, treating, bottling, packaging and transporting, to mention but a few of the steps involved in the processing of bottled water, entail a huge carbon footprint, as well as a large water footprint, because it also requires water for treating and rinsing to process bottled water,” said Prof. Seaman.

Media Release
Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
3 August 2009

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