Women in Travel: Portraits of Women Around the World

While I would love to say that gender, more importantly being feminine, doesn’t have the power to define certain aspects of travel, I’d be lying. When visiting new destinations, the topic of gender and solo women travel seem to be in some form, a constant. While this depiction is consistently being defined and shaped by male dominated forces, whether that be a country, a political party, the tourism industry or societies as a whole, I seem to have gained more insight into how extraordinary women are by visiting some countries where we may not always have the most equal of rights. 

While so many places try to erase individuality of the feminine voice and spirit, I’ve learned some important life lessons to carry along on my own solo female travel journey. In doing this, I can hope to continue to ignite a passion in other women to do the same.

Go. Adventure. Explore

Going on eight years, I’ve traveled mostly alone. I’ve been questioned about where my boyfriend is, or why I don’t have a husband. There have been times, that because of my gender, I wasn’t allowed to go certain places or do certain things. I’ve been in situations where if I was a man, I would have easily felt more confident and safe. There have been instances where I know I wasn’t treated fairly, and times when I had to step up and advocate for myself. Within these confines, I still have walked through nearly 1/3 of this earth with increasing empowerment based on the women I’ve met along the way.

I’ve realized that in spite of my gender, and often because of my privilege, I’ve gone places I never thought I could and did things I’d only dare to dream. I’ve compiled a group of memories that have been ordinary, everyday activities in different countries that have reminded me to continue to question the patriarchal narrative.

Resilience

resilience/rəˈzilyəns/noun/the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness

From the sand to the sea, the women of Morocco are tough. They are the backbone of the family. Hard working, resourceful and strong. When spending time in Morocco, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from some Berber women. The Berber community is the indigenous peoples of Northern Africa. Their culture has many similarities to the modern Moroccan, but a few things set them apart. A majority live within the deserts or mountains.

They have historically been a marginilized community. Berber women have often played a prominent role in their communities. Stories of queens and women warriors are two major themes in Berber oral history. Storytelling centering around women is a powerful way to stay as the center of the narrative in a culture. Not to mention, it’s pretty impressive to be from a lineage of warrior princesses. From the medinas of Marrakech to the High Atlas Mountains, the women as I traveled through Morocco that I met and connected with were nothing short of inspirational.

Strength

strength/strɛŋθ,strɛŋkθ/noun/the quality or state of being strong in endurance or exertion; power to resist force

In no way is this an admission that other countries have weaker women, but Vietnamese women are some of the strongest I’ve met. While visiting Hoi An, we had the sweetest guide who not only took us on a bike tour, but brought us to his home for dinner so we could be introduced to his wife and family. On the way, he wanted us to meet a family friend, a women who was a basket boat driver along a small Cua Dai river.

Basket boats are these unique circular fishing boats that are made from woven bamboo. These little round vessels were sprouted from an inventive idea. During the French Colonial times, there was a tax levied on boat owners. To avoid paying the colonialists, the Vietnamese got creative. They fashioned baskets, not boats, and therefore ingeniously couldn’t be taxed. The overall construction remains the same today, although more modernized elements are used.

Women like our guide’s friend row around tirelessly all day, then get up the next day and do it all over again. My experiences in Vietnam were peppered with these chance encounters. The people we befriended along the way only made my love for the country grow stronger.

Fortitude

fortitude/ˈfɔːtɪtjuːd/noun/strength in mind that enables a person to encounter danger or adversity with courage

Much like so many other ladies I’ve met, Peruvian women are amazing. Not only are they intelligent, but they are hard working multi-taskers. I spent several weeks in and around Cusco and was constantly impressed by how a Peruvian women could master a traditional craft, a manual labor task AND run a household. I can barely do one thing at a time successfully, and they can do 12 things simultaneously, seamlessly.

Peru was one of the first places I visited where I noticed a disparity between genders. We spent some time learning about the Picaaflor House project in rural Peru. It’s a community program where children have a space to learn and grow in conjunction with their public education system. After school, all the kids would filter in and they would have a safe space to play, classrooms to study, and mentors to help with nutrition, hygiene and social skills.

One afternoon we were participating in a games day. A game where teams kicked the soccer ball blindfolded into a net. The activities coordinator, a Peruvian man, spoke swiftly in Spanish to the group and then the girls and boys seemed to be participating in a totally different game. I asked one of the group leaders, a Peruvian woman, what was happening. She informed me that the thought the girls couldn’t play as well as the boys, so they could just carry the ball to the net, then kick a closer shot. As an independent capable woman, this immediately infuriated me. Rather than turn on my “loud American” persona, I had a conversation with the female group leader and she assured me that with patience and perseverance, she makes changes and suggestions to give all the students equal chances regardless of their gender.

Later that week, I noticed the group playing their games equally and the girls actually doing better than some of the boys. I had to smile to myself and internally cheer on the win over the battle of the sexes.

Gratitude

gratitude/ˈɡratɪtjuːd/noun/the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness

I haven’t been more grateful than my time in India. The people who opened their homes to us while traveling through Rajasthan with Purposeful Nomad was a unique experience that couldn’t be replicated. We spent time getting to know several families in Rajasthan who are responsible for running a non profit, The Sambhali Trust. It was with much gratitude that I had the chance to learn on a deeper level the issues surrounding women’s equality and empowerment in the country.

I was grateful for the chance to get a glimpse into life in rural India as a women who may be of a lesser caste. A class where it would be difficult to continue education, get a job, have your own bank account or have a life outside of being a wife and mother. Sambhali Trust is giving a safe space to women to come together within their own communities and support each other, lifting each other up.

Compassionate

compassion/kəmˈpaʃ(ə)n/noun/sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others

I’ve been spending time in Buddhists countries each year since I’ve been traveling full time. They are inevitably the places where something spiritual effects my trip and makes a permanent impact in my travel memory. Bhutan was one of these places. This women lived in a small village we were visiting. There were several monasteries my guide wanted me to visit during our short stay there. While walking through town, we stopped at a stupa where several of the older members of the community were sitting and praying.

I stood off to the side, as to not to disturb anyones ritual, and she reached out her hand and waved me over. I sat with her for a few moments, she didn’t speak any English, but gently uttered a prayer to me while mover her mala beads through her wrinkled hands. Bhutan has a spirituality that comes through in its people and is something you need to witness in person to really grasp.

Resourceful

resourceful/rɪˈsɔːsfʊl,rɪˈzɔːsfʊl/adjective/having the ability to meet situations; capable of devising ways and means

I’ve yet to see a more well oiled machine of operations than the ladies who work at Kinawataka Women’s Initiative. When I was staying in Kampala before heading out to safari, I took a stroll down the road and met with the formidable Benedicta, who is the mastermind behind the NGO that is simultaneously providing jobs while the women are cleaning up their neighborhood. I went back a couple of times, in awe of her friendly demeanor and hard working attitude.

Watching the girls work is a bit mesmerizing. With small dull knives, they quickly flatten the straws they’ve collected off the street. After several bundles are made, they are weaved and sewn into chic bags, mats and jewelry. I was impressed with the fact that the women took something in their community that they disliked, the trash, and turned it into a profitable business. From female safari guides, to women helping create local community organizations in small villages around Uganda and Tanzania, there were countless examples of drive and determination like Benadicta’s organization.

Wisdom

wise/wʌɪz/adjective/having or showing experience, knowledge and good judgement

People often talk about learning through travel. They say that it is the quickest way to discover things about yourself. That diving into new cultures and traditions are real world lessons of history, religion and anthropology. I find it has been women in travel who have shaped me the most. There always seems to be something to take away from every chance meeting, not matter how large or small. The connection between women can be deeply philosophical, or it can be simple communications. Be open, be aware. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Learn from and respect others seem like such basic rules for human interactions, but they also seem to yield the greatest results.

I think personal interactions have a major impact on ethical travel. Women in travel have the ability to shape that narrative and create a more positive experience with each other, make choices that have better outcomes for both the ladies locally and the women who are visiting. Travel that makes a better impact on both parties is a means of responsible tourism. There are so many stories of solo travel that surround itself with safety and interactions locally with negative outcomes. I like reminders for myself about why I get up and go out the door to places I’ve never been. Reminders that people are inherently good and that we, as women in travel, can be supportive in so many ways are what I need.