Seminar Proceedings

Summary Report of the Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women :Kathmandu 2026

Language: English Published: October 2026 View PDF File

The Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women, held in Kathmandu, Nepal, from

26–29 May 2026, brought together pastoralist women from diverse regions and

pastoral systems around the world. Co-organised by the Working Group on

Pastoralism and Gender (WGPG of the Global Alliance for the International Year

of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP)) and the International Centre for

Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Gathering included 94 listed

participants, of whom 81 were pastoralist women (37% of whom were youth)

from 38 different countries, alongside facilitators, documenters, translators,

volunteers and support people. It created a dedicated global space to

recognize, celebrate and strengthen the role of pastoralist women as stewards

of rangelands; to exchange experiences, knowledge, and solutions; foster

solidarity and lasting connections; and to ensure that pastoralist women’s

voices and perspectives shape decision-making from the local to the global

level.

“The Global Gathering transformed my voice into a collective force: the

Kathmandu Declaration and the Global Network will lift pastoralist

women from silence into the light, consecrating our role as builders of

peace, guardians of resilience and bearers of a future that no one will now

be able to ignore”.

(Djoudé Issa Demo, Benin)