omen are primary managers of vital resources, playing a crucial role in environmental protection and socioeconomic development in Pakistan’s mountainous areas. They are conservationists of biodiversity and keepers of traditional knowledge – handmade carpets and woollen garments, etc, especially in Hunza - they are the stewards of the delicate balance between nature and the communities situated in these areas.

Empowering rural women is not just a matter of equity; it’s a strategic move towards eradicating hunger and poverty. However, discriminatory social norms create formidable barriers, limiting women’s access to resources and stifling their voices. Despite being the backbone of their communities, women face double marginalisation—high workload responsibility coupled with low decision-making representation.

Male migration, fuelled by climate change and economic conditions, leaves the female population grappling with increased responsibilities. Men from these mountain towns frequently move to cities in pursuit of employment, leaving the women to handle household chores at home. Women handle almost everything from housework to small enterprises in addition to providing for their families. The migration trends are well-researched, yet the impact on those left behind—women and children—remains inadequately understood.

Recently, the SDPI conducted a human settlement survey, particularly for women’s issues in Murree, highlighting three important aspects - health, water issues and poor road infrastructure - in the forthcoming report. Water scarcity forces women to walk miles, fetching water for their daily needs, especially in times of long power outages lasting for several days. The absence of a sewage system adds to their difficulties.

In addition, human resource shortages persist due to the challenges of living in such terrains, leaving gaps in the provision of essential services. The triple role of production, reproduction and development burdens the women’s health and physical abilities. Despite being the backbone of farms, irrigation activities and domestic chores, they often face a lack of access to healthcare and low priority in education and nutrition.

The lack of proper roads to health facilities remains a pressing issue in mountainous regions which also hinders the ambulances from reaching the remote regions swiftly. Limited operating hours and inadequate access to basic health units further compound the challenges. Pregnant women face the daunting task of navigating facilities for deliveries, often relying on home remedies due to the difficulty of travel. Transporting pregnant women is a significant issue, highlighting the need for more lady health workers.

The triple role of production,reproduction and development burdens the women’s health and physical abilities. Despite being the backbone of farms, irrigation activities and domestic chores, they often face a lack of access to healthcare and low priority in education and nutrition.

Apart from this, it is evident that the health facilities, especially in Murree tehsil, are limited and have inadequate resources. Though there are some private clinics, they are ill-equipped to handle complex cases and refer critical patients to Rawalpindi or Islamabad. Many girls experience food shortages and nutritional deficiencies, indicating the need for comprehensive programmes that cater to their unique needs.

A number of resilient women in Murree are working as lady health workers, dedicating their lives to fieldwork-oriented healthcare. Their duties include visiting 8 to 10 households daily and navigating through societal issues and challenging terrains. The journey is not as easy as it might seem; societal behaviour often reflects their efforts. Misperceptions label them as idle individuals, particularly during the polio campaigns, creating obstacles to their mission to ensure the health and well-being of communities. During a focus group discussion with the LHWs in Murree, one among them – Samina Zafar – highlighted various challenges that they face in their field-oriented profession, including the harsh behaviour of the community, especially men, as they do not view working women in a positive light.

There is one more thing that mountain communities have in common. They are some of the poorest and most marginalised individuals on earth. Women in mountainous areas continue to face obstacles such as gender discrimination, social injustices and entrenched hierarchies that hinder their advancement. Women’s lives are particularly challenging in mountainous regions due to illiteracy. They frequently lack access to social security programmes, education, credit and basic rights, and they hardly ever participate in household decisions, let alone larger ones.

The challenges brought on by climate change in this area have made their lives even more difficult.

Amidst the challenges, rays of hope emerge through initiatives by organisations like the MDF and Rifah Development Forum in the Murree region. Educational programmes, career counselling and skill development projects are empowering women and shifting the narrative towards progress. The impact is tangible; growing interest among women in skill development and education signifies a positive shift. Seeds provided for kitchen gardening contribute to economic empowerment, creating self-sustaining communities.

With large investment gaps and being disproportionately impacted by climate change, mountain communities face problems that necessitate a radical reversal of traditional gender roles. To increase community resilience and protect mountain ecosystems, it is critical to re-evaluate and re-frame women’s roles, reject stereotypes and invest in women’s human capital. The significant contributions that women make to environmental conservation can be realised with the right encouragement and support. Giving women greater ownership of natural resources could improve their political and economic status.

The writer is a project assistant at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute. She can be reached at humaarshad55@yahoo.com