The International Mountain Day has its roots in 1992, when the adoption of Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment and Development put a milestone in the history of mountain development.

This year the theme for International Mountain Day - Women Move Mountains. Women play a key role in socio-ecological development in mountain areas. They are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity, keepers of traditional knowledge, custodians of local culture and experts in traditional medicine. Yet mountain women are often invisible due unequal access to decision-making spaces, power and to resources. To trigger real change towards sustainable development, it is important to engage in gender transformative change.

IMI observed the day through social media engagement highlighting women of the IMI network. State Chapters of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Darjeeling observed the day through events.