In the high villages of Himachal Pradesh, women carry the mountains on their backs: the water, the firewood, the children, the harvest, the looms and the family's future. Daughters of the Himalaya is our promise to stand with them.
Why the Daughters of the Himalaya
Himachal's women work harder, and more visibly, than almost anywhere in India. The state has the country's highest female labour-force participation, and in the villages that means farming terraces, tending apple orchards, herding, weaving and running homes, often at altitudes where winter snow and monsoon landslides cut roads for days. When a road closes, a clinic, a school or a market can slip out of reach. It is the women and girls who feel that first.
| Himachal Pradesh | 71.4% |
|---|---|
| India (all states) | 37.0% |
Source: Periodic Labour Force Survey 2022–23 (MoSPI), as stated in the Lok Sabha and reported by Careers360, July 2024.
What We Support
- Health: help reaching a doctor, essential medicines and women's hygiene products when the roads close.
- Schooling: books, warm uniforms and travel for girls who walk hours to class.
- Livelihoods: homestays, crafts and local produce, and guests from around the world through our Hoppers and retreats.
- Dignity: buying directly from women's self-help groups, at fair prices, for our guests' welcome gifts.
We give through registered charities and local women's self-help groups, starting in Himachal Pradesh. Himachal's own self-help movement is strong: the state's Rural Livelihoods Mission sells women's products under the Him Ira brand, and Sirmaur district alone has around 4,000 groups.
Hands That Keep a Culture Alive
Silver and enamel jewellery, hand-woven pattu shawls, carved deodar doors, apple and apricot preserves: much of Himachal's culture lives in its women's hands. When you buy from them, through a homestay, a craft market or our community programmes, you are paying a fair price to the person who made it.
How You Can Help
- Stay in a family-run homestay during your Himalayan recovery.
- Give to the Care Fund. Every gift is recorded and reported.
- Join a community programme as a Hopper: teach a skill, share your trade, learn theirs.
Inspired by the spirit of India's national Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign. BookMedTrip is a private company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of India or any charity named here.
Independent research. Figures are quoted from the official and published sources listed below, as they stood when we checked them (October 2026). BookMedTrip is an independent facilitator and is not affiliated with any government body, hospital, charity or organisation named here, and receives no commission from them. If anything here is out of date or inaccurate, please write to care@bookmedtrip.com and we will correct it.
常见问题
Where does the money go?
Daughters of the Himalaya and the Care Fund share 10% of BookMedTrip's net profit, given through registered charities and local women's self-help groups, starting in Himachal Pradesh.
Can I visit the villages?
Yes, gently and with permission. Our Hoppers programme and family-run homestays are the respectful way to do it.
