IYRP Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women (Mera+16): Why a Global Gathering Matters

The Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women (MERA +16), taking place 26–29 May 2026 in Kathmandu, will bring together 100 pastoralist women from more than 40 countries across the world to celebrate their leadership, strengthen solidarity across regions, identify shared priorities, and amplify pastoralist women’s voices in global discussions on rangelands and pastoralist futures. In this video, hear directly from Pastoralist Women about why this gathering matters to them. In partnership with ActionAid as fiscal sponsor, ICIMOD, and the Working Group on Pastoralism and Gender- Global Alliance for Rangelands & Pastoralists, we are launching a donation campaign to support the participation of pastoralist women in the Global Gathering. 🤝 Donate to support pastoralist women: 🌍 International donations: https://lnkd.in/d9gRhsMx 👉 US-based donations: https://lnkd.in/dmCMKyXC The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists — a year to celebrate rangelands and their people, recommit to caring for the Earth, and support Indigenous and local rangeland communities. 👩🏾‍🌾🐐 Women and girls make up half of all pastoralists. Pastoralist women play essential roles in caring for land, animals, families, and communities, and in producing food and fibre. Their labour, skills, and knowledge are vital to food security, climate resilience, economic life, and peacemaking. Yet their work is too often unrecognised, undervalued, and excluded from the decisions that affect their lives, lands, and livelihoods. 🌍🦙👩🏽‍🌾 That is changing. Pastoralist women are coming together within their communities and across regions - supporting one another, sharing experiences, exchanging knowledge, and standing up for their rights and the rights of their communities. 📢The aim is not only to bring women together, but to help strengthen a global network of pastoralist women and support their direct participation in shaping decisions about rangelands, climate, biodiversity, and pastoralist futures. 🤝 Please support this transformative gathering and help pastoralist women from remote rangeland communities take part. #PastoralistWomen #MERA16 #IYRP2026 #IYWF2026 #IYRPforEquality #IYRPforJustice #IYRPforSustainability #Pastoralism #Rangelands #GenderEquality #PastoralistWomenLead