Patan (Lalitpur), May 26: Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment Geeta Chaudhary has said that the Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen collective commitments towards increasing recognition for the rights and dignity of women herders and livestock keepers.
During her address to the event held at Khumaltar of Lalitpur here today, the Minister expressed her hope that the event would prove a powerful platform for strengthening the rights of women pastoralists. The Global Gathering is organized by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) with technical assistance of the United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The conference has been a means of amplifying the voices of the pastoralist women, bringing their concerns to the global attention.
Each discussion to be held during the gathering be centered on the issues concerning women, men and children are spending their days for caring of livestock in rural and geographically sensitive areas, according to the Minister.
Pastoralism is not just concerned with livelihood, it is also deeply interconnected with the food supply chain, biological diversity conservation, ecological conservation, cultural heritages and local economy. However, voices the women in pastoralism still lack representation at the decision-making levels, she added.
Their issues including the shrinking grazing areas are ours collective issues connected to the livelihood, she said, underlining the need for further amplifying the voices of women engage in production and livestock keeping.
“The gathering is timely, relevant and of high significance. Voices of pastoralist women be heard, the future of upcoming generation be secured. This is also a vital forum for learning and the experience sharing. Our each voice be centered on those women and men in the rural and backward geography,” she said.
Livestock keepers in Nepal have significantly contributed to the local to national economy, sustainable food system and the preservation of cultural traditions through yak and sheep keeping and from other livestock activities. “Issues and challenges faced by pastoralist women are global.”
The Minister also assured participants that the concerns of pastoralist women would be incorporated into national planning and development agendas through policy-level interventions.
She also took time to say that incumbent government with an encouraging participation of energetic youths and women is active for building a durable future for all.
International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists-IYRP 2026’s Co-Chair Dr Maria Fernandez-Gimenez expressed her hope that the gathering would successfully issue a Global Declaration, establishing a global network among pastoralist women.
“This gathering is expected to encourage pastoralist women to further unite for their rights, changing prevailing narratives and perspectives towards pastoralism,” she said.
United Nations FAO residential representative in Nepal, Dr Ken Shimiju expressed the hope that the gathering would contribute to capacity enhancement and leadership development of pastoralist women, helping shape gender-responsive policies for their better future.
National Planning Commission’s Vice Chair Dr Gunakar Bhatta was of the view that the event would be successful in creating a pressure for incorporating the experiences, struggles, perspectives, and priorities of pastoralist into the decision making processes and policy formulations from local and international levels.
The gathering, which will continue until Friday, is primarily reviewing documents prepared by a similar gathering of pastoralist women held in India in 2010.
