Wondering who’s who in the WorldforaGirl logo? Well, let me explain why I chose these female explorers…
Coming up with a name for my new blog was a challenge. It was like naming my own children. All over again.
I wanted to convey global travel, parenting and feminism. I also wanted a name that left room to grow all in a few words. So, after much debate, I settled on World for a Girl.
Admittedly, it’s not particularly creative or original but it conveyed my message: ‘opening the world up to girls’ and inspiring female travel independently and within families. In case you’re wondering, the ‘girl’ of the title is Zizi, my youngest child. Want to find out why I’ve dedicated the blog to her? Then check out my About page.
The name is fine and I hope people can start associating it with travel and feminism.
However, I wanted a logo that did more than the basics. A logo that really symbolised the kind of content that I want to create and share. A visual depiction of ‘WOMEN’ ‘TRAVEL’ ‘FAMILY’ ‘GIRLPOWER – ROAR’
So I worked with the fantastically creative Helen Braid at Ellie Illustrates and at long last I’ve got the logo I’ve always dreamed of.
In the centre, there’s the kids and I (ready to travel as always). But who are the female explorers depicted around us? Have another peep, can you guess?
Female Explorer – Robyn Davidson (left)
Guiding one of her camels through the Australian outback (did you spot Uluru?) is a likeness of female explorer Robyn Davidson.
This courageous, resilient and fiercely independent young Australian female explorer trekked over 1700 miles from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean in the 1970s. Alone, except for her small flock of camels and a dog. Robyn was only 25 when she quit her studies and decided to trek across the desert solo. Robyn moved to Alice Springs and found a teacher to teach her how to work with camels. She self-funded herself through writing for National Geographic about her adventure. The sheer resilience that this incredible female explorer has, being alone for weeks and weeks at a time in one of the harshest environments on Earth, is astounding. She is also a great writer and I love dipping into her travel books. To this day, Robyn continues to travel and teach.
If you haven’t seen the movie of Robyn’s journey yet, do. It’s called Tracks and really inspirational with great cinematography of the vast, eerie and beautiful Australian Outback.
Female Explorer – Junko Taibei (right)
Mountaineering on the right you’ll spot a likeness of the record-breaking female explorer Junko Taibei, a famous Japanese mountaineer and environmentalist.
This extraordinary female explorer began mountaineering as a student. Despite Japanese culture at the time dictating that women should stay home and look after their children, Junko founded the Ladies’ Climbing Club in Japan to inspire other women to mountaineer with her.
In 1975, Junko prepared to climb Mount Everest (the tallest mountain in the world at 8,848m above sea level). As a female climbing group, Junko and her fellow female explorers received little funding and had to scrape together the money and equipment that male-led expeditions often had provided. Unfortunately, halfway up the mountain, disaster struck and a huge avalanche engulfed her entire campsite. The Sherpas (skilled local Himalayan mountaineers) who were accompanying Junko and her female explorer friends dug the unconscious Junko out of the snow. Undeterred by this horrendous and terrifying disaster, Junko continued her trek towards the summit and became the FIRST FEMALE explorer to reach the top of Mount Everest. What a champion!
A courageous woman to the last, Junko saw her ascent of Everest not as an end but as a beginning. Over the rest of her lifetime, she became the first woman to climb all seven of the Seven Summits (the 7 highest mountains in the world). Sadly, Junko died of cancer in 2016 but her conservation work and inspirational life story live on.
Female Explorer – Bessie Coleman (in the sky!)
Up in the sky, you can catch a glimpse of a pilot representing the great female explorer Bessie Coleman.
Bessie is an absolutely fascinating character. Born to a very large, poor African-American family in Texas, her father was part Cherokee (Native American). After moving to Chicago to work as a manicurist in her early twenties, Bessie decided against all odds that she wanted to be a pilot. With the support of some very influential friends, she found an aviation school in France to attend. At the time, not a single aviation school in the whole of the USA would consider teaching a black woman to fly! A determined female explorer to the last, she taught herself French and worked two jobs to save enough money to support her move to Europe. Graduating aviation school in France with an International Flying Licence, Bessie travelled around Europe flying in airshows to gain experience.
Returning to the United States, Bessie vowed to open an aviation school for African-Americans. She struggled to get funding to perform at stunt shows but when she finally did, she became hugely popular and was nicknamed ‘Queen Bess’ by the press. Unfortunately, Bessie was killed in an air accident in 1926 when she was just 34 years old. She never did get to open her aviation school but she is remembered as an inspiration for women through the world.
These female explorers inspire me
I chose these three fantastic women because they truly represent how inspirational, strong-willed and resilient female explorers can be. For me, they also represent intersectionality in feminism, a message that feminism is not just for white women. That feminism is an especially important and relevant movement for Black, Hispanic and Asian women who are simultaneously fighting back against sexism as well as other forms of oppression and prejudice.
I hope that these three female explorers symbolise the global experience of women adventurers. Many books on female explorers seem dominated by white American and British women and I hope more inclusive choice, will encourage girls and women from all walks of life and all countries to consider global adventures and pursuing their travel dreams.
Which female explorers inspire you?
Welcome to the Worldforagirl community! Feel free to leave comments on the three female explorers I chose to represent my site. Which female explorers inspire you? Are there any female explorers who define or transcend individual communities? Comment on your favourite female explorers below.