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.
Working for more gender diversity in the mountains
Femmes en Montagne works to increase media representation and encourage women’s participation in outdoor and mountain sports.
The Film Festival
Give pride of place to women
Femmes en Montagne is a film festival in Annecy featuring evening screenings, along with filmmaking and mountain-focused workshops during the day.
All featured films (amateur or professional) highlight women or mixed-gender groups in the mountains. Covering themes such as travel, outdoor activities, cultural discoveries and individual stories, each film also tackles important cultural, scientific and/or sports-focused issues, bringing awareness of these topics to a wider audience.
The Organization and its work
Promoting gender diversity in outdoor sports
After creating the blog in 2015, we realized that the need for representing women’s participation in mountain activities was high. For better gender diversity in these sports, women needed to be encouraged and showcased.
We created this organization to showcase inspiring female athletes, but also to encourage more women to get involved in these outdoor sports.
School Tours
Engaging the next generation
During 2019, 92.8% of L’Équipe’s front pages (a national, daily sports newspaper) were dedicated to male athletic achievements. In 2022, only 2% of mountain guides in France were women.
These figures are a stark reminder of the invisibility of female athletes, gender stereotypes that cast certain professions, like mountain guides, as masculine, and the high levels of drop-out from sports among female teenagers…
The discussions that followed the screenings raised questions about gender stereotypes in sports, barriers to high-level sports for women, and the lack of role models for young girls.
Femmes en Montagne’s 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.
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.
Sponsors & Partners
These partners trust us
A big thank you to all our partners, without whom our work would not be possible.
Encouraging and Inspiring Women in the Mountains.
Film Festival
Past Festival Editions
Press releases and news
Latest news from Femmes en Montagne
Find our events, articles and portrayals of women in the mountains.
The Organization and Festival Newsletter
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