?When the repression is strong, the men retreat because they are too vulnerable. Instead, the women come out in their traditional roles, as nurturers and as protectors of the community.? (ICIMOD, 2001, Manchanda, Voices of Mountain Women,). Women in the Himalayan Region are disadvantaged in manifold ways. In addition to the challenges of living in the mountains, with a harsh climate and inadequate infrastructure, they experience unequal treatment based in traditional gender relationships that deprives them from equal access to health, education, property and wellbeing. The vulnerability of women increases in situations of rapid change or stress like political conflicts and natural disasters. This paper argues that the widespread and increasingly popular labour migration of men from the Himalaya must be considered as a factor that may contribute to increased vulnerability of the women left behind. It is difficult to generalize across countries, but men?s migration has in one way contributed to the economic stability and indirectly improved women?s leadership and decision-making power. On the other hand, with added roles and responsibilities, women?s workload has increased by leaving them to shoulder the burden of the mountain economy. In general, women?s access to education, communication and health facilities still remains at a very low level, thus reinforcing feminization of poverty. In conclusion this paper makes an argument of increased importance of engendering all mountain development activities.
