‘Women move mountains’

Kathmandu: According to a study conducted by the World Tourism Organization some time ago, although the participation of women in other sectors is less, it is more in the tourism sector.

The study report reveals that 54 percent of the businessmen and employees involved in tourism in the world are women. Women involved in it earn 39 percent more than women earning in other sectors.

Women in Nepal have been involved in mountain tourism since before 1920. At that time, Sherpa women from the Himalayan region were involved as porters and cooks.

However, by the year 2000, various studies have shown that women started hiking and climbing. That number only increased after 2020, women joined various organizations and started taking leadership.

Targeting women, the United Nations has given the slogan of this year’s International Mountain Day as ‘Women Move Mountains, which means women can move mountains.  The association has been celebrating the day on December 11 every year since 2003.

Keeping in mind the slogan of the United Nations, the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and the International Mountain Museum celebrated the seventh edition of the International Mountain Festival in Pokhara on Saturday and Sunday.

The NMA says that this slogan is especially suitable for a mountainous country like Nepal. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dhananjay Regmi also said that more than half of Nepali tourism is occupied by women.  There is also more involvement of women in rural and mountain tourism.

On the contrary, it was seen that men fled from this profession quickly. On Sunday, Regmi gave a presentation on mountain tourism and the situation of women in Nepal at the mountain festival held at the International Mountain Museum in Pokhara.