Pastoralist women representing every inhabited continent have come together to advance a global agenda focused on strengthening rights, enhancing climate resilience, and promoting sustainable management of rangelands. This milestone gathering coincides with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 (IYRP 2026), underscoring the critical role these communities play worldwide.

The Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women produced three principal outcomes: the creation of a global network for pastoralist women, the introduction of a draft Kathmandu Declaration (Mera +16) outlining shared priorities and a call to action, and the development of a coordinated strategy to engage with international policy platforms.

Rangelands cover nearly half of the Earth's land surface, and pastoralism remains the most widespread form of land use globally. Women and girls constitute around half of the pastoralist population and are central to livestock care, land stewardship, food security, and the preservation of traditional knowledge systems. Despite their key role, pastoralist women frequently confront challenges including insecure rights to land and mobility, limited political representation, and pronounced vulnerabilities to climate change.

The draft Kathmandu Declaration emphasizes shared priorities such as securing land and resource rights, increasing political participation, improving access to basic services, recognizing traditional knowledge, and pursuing climate justice. These elements reflect a collective effort to address longstanding inequalities and environmental pressures affecting pastoralist communities.

Yi Shaoliang, Senior Intervention Manager for Rangelands at ICIMOD, highlighted the importance of pastoralist women as stewards of rangelands and biodiversity, noting their integral contributions to climate adaptation and landscape resilience. Similarly, Srijana Joshi Rijal, Ecosystem Specialist at ICIMOD, described the initiative as historic, pointing to the unity among pastoralist women across regions to protect future generations by ensuring their voices are heard on global stages.

Nitya Ghotge, Co-Chair of the IYRP Working Group on Pastoralism and Gender, characterized the event as a defining moment in which women pastoralists worldwide are shaping more sustainable futures for their families and communities through collective action. The establishment of this global network and shared agenda signals a concerted effort to influence policy and drive change in favor of pastoralist women’s rights and environmental stewardship.