Since the 1960s, the women’s movement has been at the forefront of the debate around a new development model centred on sustainability, which generated ecofeminism. Recently a wide debate across the women’s movement has centred the concept of empowerment as a common feature of gender and sustainability discourses, stressing the importance of balancing powers and participation in decision-making. The decline of pastoralism and mountain farming, and the subsequent problem of land abandonment, has been identified as threats to many species of concern for conservation efforts. Despite nearly three decades of policies that supposedly couple conservation and local development, communities are still declining in the inner territories, marked by ageing and depopulation. Here we present three case studies from the Central Apennines area, a mountainous territory characterised by a long history of pastoralism and the presence of big national parks and other forms of nature conservation. The first case study illustrates the issue of the representation of women’s visions and perceptions in mountain communities. The second showcases women as agents of innovation in their communities. The third discusses the importance of cultural, social and community aspects other than innovation. All three highlight opportunities for fostering improved landscape stewardship approaches by local mountain communities, using a gender-sensitive approach.