Meet the two women climbing the highest mountains in the world to combat gender-based violence

MANHATTAN, N.Y. - Sept. 13, 2024 - PRLog -- Anjali and Stephanie didn't meet the way two city girls usually do.

They met on a mountain. Under a dancing rainbow on South America's highest peak, Anjali and Stephanie decided that they wanted to climb mountains for something larger than themselves. As an international human rights lawyer and a sexual trauma specialist, what better way to bring together their expertise and passion than working to combat something that both of them had experienced personally and dedicated much of their time to professionally: gender-based violence.

What is the Power of We? was born.

A few days later, at an altitude of 5,500 meters, Anjali and Stephanie witnessed as a  guide violently attacked one of his women clients, and their mission became exponentially more urgent. Just months after returning home, the New York Times published an article detailing credible allegations of sexual harassment and assault against mountaineer Nirmal Purja by multiple women. Then, climber Charles Barrett was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in a national park. She was one of four women who testified against Barrett at trial.

For Anjali and Stephanie, it is paramount to address gender-based violence on a global level and, as two women climbers, within the mountaineering community. That's why they are developing an anonymous reporting system for survivors facing violence on the mountains, creating community spaces for those survivors, and crafting trauma-informed trainings for guiding companies and climbers alike.

Globally, What is the Power of We? is partnering with organizations working to combat gender-based violence by providing them with both funding and technical assistance, bridging the skills of the What is the Power of We? community with their needs.

And Anjali and Stephanie will keep climbing, going from Survivors to Summits as they climb the highest mountain on each continent to raise funds and awareness, and mobilize a community to action around gender-based violence. Their next climb? Should their sponsorship funding work out, Mount Vinson in Antarctica.

As two women mountaineers—an international human rights lawyer and a sexual trauma specialist with over 28 years of combined experience working towards gender equality and addressing gender-based violence—Anjali and Stephanie are fully committed to eradicating gender-based violence once and for all, both on and off the mountains. Their journey to summit the highest peak on each continent in service of that goal is just the beginning.

Learn more and donate at https://www.whatisthepowerofwe.com. Become an individual sponsor of their climbs at https://gofund.me/e43ec408.