Our challenge is making the mountains a gender diverse environment, where everyone can express themselves freely, where women fully have a place, and where their talent and passion can shine without fear or judgment.
About Femmes en Montagne
Encouraging women’s participation in outdoor sports
Since 2016, Femmes en Montagne has been working to encourage and promote female participation in outdoor and mountain sports. Our mission is making the mountains more gender diverse and inclusive and fostering a stimulating and welcoming environment where everyone has space to thrive.
Who are we?
An Organization Committed to Gender Diversity and Inclusion
Since 2016, our organization’s mission has been making the mountains more gender diverse and inclusive and fostering a stimulating and welcoming environment where everyone has space to thrive.
In addition, the Femmes en Montagne Film Festival is the #1 French mountain film festival highlighting women. The Festival gets bigger every year: its 4th edition in 2023 brought together 3,900 viewers who came to discover inspiring portrayals of women and captivating stories centered on the mountains!
Our Mission and Values
Highlighting Women’s Participation in Mountain Activities
Although some progress has been made, gender equality in the mountain environment remains a major challenge.
Today, only 2.5% of mountain guides are women, which illustrates the flagrant underrepresentation of women in this area. Less present in the media than their male counterparts, they also continue to face stereotypes and prejudices which limit their exposure and recognition. These obstacles hinder their participation as well as their success in a field where opportunities and support remain unequal. This lack of representation hurts not only women’s potential in the mountain environment, but also the potential of mountain sports as a whole. We firmly believe that it is imperative to change perceptions and actively work towards better inclusion and promotion of women, not only in athletic practice, but also in all aspects of the mountain environment.
Making the Mountains More Gender Diverse
Encouraging and Inspiring Women in the Mountains
We are committed to showcasing stories of women in the mountains by creating equal opportunities and encouraging an inclusive culture.
Improving Female Representation in Media and Offering Role Models
We are working to ensure that women are better represented in the media and that female role models inspire and encourage others.
Supporting Women’s Empowerment Through Film
In order to tell new stories, we think it’s important to have directing teams that are more gender diverse. Our festival includes an amateur short-film category to support up-and-coming talent. We also offer technical training in the form of accessible directing workshops.
Testimonials
What people are saying about the Festival:
History of the Festival and the Organization
Our History: Working to Offer Role Models and Inspire
From the blog On est n’est pas que des collants
In 2015, Tanya Naville and Léo Wattebled created the “On n’est pas que des collants” blog to share their common love for the mountains and to encourage women to get started in mountain sports. At the time, Tanya Naville competed in ski mountaineering, was the coordinator of GFHM and had founded GAF74. Léo Wattebled was the fitness trainer for the French ice climbing team and had authored a PhD thesis on motor control and expertise in ice climbing.
To the Women’s Skimo Project
The following year, the On n’est pas que des collants Organization was founded to help increase media representation of women’s participation in mountain activities and to make Women’s Skimo Project films. The project is a collection of three short and medium length films highlighting inspiring female skiiers in Japan, Iceland, and Greece.
To the 1st Edition of the Festival
The idea of a film festival about women in the mountains began to take shape. Inspiring stories of women in the mountain environment were enthusiastically received by the public. The desire to challenge prejudices, encourage women’s participation in mountain activities, and promote media representation of these women led to the creation of the first film festival about women in the mountains in France in 2019.
The media only talks about exceptional mountaineers! The goal of the Festival is to inspire the public by offering alternative stories of the mountains, ones that are more inclusive, more gender diverse.
Femmes en Montagne
Our Work
Our organization works throughout the year to make a difference by leading initiatives that inspire and promote women in the mountains.
The Festival
Every fall, the Festival takes place in theaters in Annecy and online with a selection of films that showcase inspiring stories of women in the mountains and journeys that defy stereotypes.
The School Tour
We visit schools with the goal of introducing the importance of gender equality in sports to the next generation.
Connecting With You
Happy Hours
Several happy hours known as “Verre des Montagnardes” are held every year to provide an opportunity for women who are interested in mountain sports to meet and connect.
The Relay Tour
Spreading the message of gender diversity and equality beyond the festival by using the films as a starting point for discussion and reflection.
2024
at the 4th Edition
3900
Viewers
34
Films
8
Screenings
14
Workshops
42
Presenters
Sponsors & Partners
These partners trust us
A big thank you to all our partners, without whom our work would not be possible.
Femmes en Montagne
Our Commitments
As an organization, we want to take our work beyond the challenges of the mountains and have a real impact on the societal and environmental issues that are shaping our world. Our commitments extend to larger causes that are important to us.
Making mountain film more inclusive and accessible
Accessible screenings for the deaf and hard of hearing.
We want to make culture and cinema accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities, through inclusion initiatives such as providing sign language interpreters and the online version of the festival.
Making accessibility a key pillar of the Festival means that each viewer can fully participate in the cultural experience, regardless of their disabilities.
Protecting an environment that inspires us
Environmental issues are connected to other forms of oppression, notably those based on gender, race, social class, and other identities. That’s why, since the Festival’s creation, taking the environmental impact of our daily actions into account has been a given. These considerations include limiting use of transportation, opting for online meetings, encouraging carpooling, using reusable dishes at all events, opting for shared accommodation, purchasing multiuse and Made in France goodies, highlighting local actors and partners, and limiting printing to avoid waste.
Our Recognition
The Work of a Passionate Team
We are proud of the recognition Femmes en Montagne has received over the years. This recognition underscores our commitments and the work of our passionate team, dedicated to equality and female representation in the mountains.
Trophée National Association 2023
Femmes en Montagne received the Trophée National Association from the Alice Milliat Foundation. Founded in 2015 to honor Alice Milliat, a pioneer of women’s sports, the foundation’s mission is promoting gender equality in sports. It works to improve visibility and recognition of women in all aspects of sports, whether they be athletes, trainers, referees, or coaches.
Our organization is certified by:
- the Alice Milliat Foundation
- Égalité Voice ONU Femmes France
- Fodacim Member
Femmes en Montagne is proudly certified, reflecting our commitment to equality and promoting women in mountain sports.
Networks
Our organization is part of the following networks or has received the following certifications:
Recognition that affirms the impact of the organization’s work
Learn more
About the organization
The Organization and Festival Newsletter
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