Women in Travel: Where are We?

Last week, a new colleague of Rhino’s gave him a travel book as a welcome gift. Rhino wasn’t that impressed but as someone who loves travel and loves books, I absolutely devoured it.

The book was Chasing 193: A Quest to Visit Every Country in the World by Ryan Trapp and Lee Abbamonte. Inside the authors have interviewed 34 intrepid travellers from various countries.

What all of these travellers have in common is that they have been to all (or almost all) of the 193 countries officially recognised by the United Nations. There’s a whole range of characters, motives and crazy adventurous stories. Essentially, the interviewees have little in common apart from a love of travel.

Oh and one other thing that these interviewees have in common is that 33 of them are MALE.

Yep, only one woman featured in the entire book. Nina Sedano from Germany.

Just one woman.

Now I don’t want to jump to conclusions there could be many reasons for the lack of women featured in this book and many other travel books:

Why women don’t feature in travel books Idea #1

Maybe women in travel are less competitive and travel for pleasure rather than to beat records so there were just fewer women to track down to interview (hmm… I know lots of very competitive women. Plenty of who love lists and travel…hmm)

Why women don’t feature in travel books Idea #2

Maybe women have less time to travel as they often have to raise families (hmm… I’m a mother and I haven’t let that stop my travelling. In fact, my kids have been to 20 countries already and the oldest isn’t 5 yet. Also, many women don’t choose to become mothers and have lots of free time and aren’t sitting at home like sad, old spinsters. Many single women are off exploring the world).

Interested in how travel can help raise young feminists? Click through to 5 reasons why TRAVEL helps raise young FEMINISTS

Why women don’t feature in travel books Idea #3

Maybe us women are too scared or sensible or sensitive or sweet or weak to visit war-torn or remote destinations (hmm… Cassandra De Pecol travelled to all 193 countries – admittedly after Chasing 193 Volume 1 was published, Nina Sedano does in fact feature in the book and let’s not forget all those courageous female war correspondents choose to report from dangerous locations and fearless women have reached the North and South Poles)

Why women don’t feature in travel books Idea #4

Maybe the male authors had an unconscious bias against women adventurers (hmm…well… hmm…maybe)

Why women don’t feature in travel books Idea #5

Maybe the authors thought only men would be interested in reading tales of heroic bravery and daring adventures (hmm… several of the interviewees were retired and did all their travelling on organised tours! Not so interesting to anyone right?)

Why women don’t feature in travel books Idea #6

Maybe it’s just not considered important that women in travel are represented proportionally in the publishing world. Hmm.. like in the boardroom for example or in the Government Cabinet or in at the Oscars Ceremony. Maybe it’s just not important to strive for balance and equality…hmm…

Women as Partners not Protagonists

Another factor that really struck me as I read Chasing 193 was that lots of women do feature – in small bit parts. Whilst women didn’t get their own chapters and (more tellingly) married couples didn’t feature together. Many of interviewees recount exotic and intrepid trips taken in the company of girlfriends, female companions and their wives.

So clearly women do travel… just not as the main protagonists but as support characters. It’s sounding terribly Victorian.

Want to know why I chose to write a family travel blog with a twist of feminism click here to read why.

How Women are Redressing the Balance

Then late last week, an email landed in my inbox. It read:

Did you know that women make up more than 70% of the travel consumer base and make 85% of travel purchasing decisions?

This was news to me but makes a lot of sense. In most families, we’re friends with. It’s the women, the mothers who plan and organise holidays and trips and reunions and romantic getaways.

It also reminded me of when I’ve been a solo female backpacker or backpacking in a couple. During these various backpacking trips, I’ve always met more women than men travelling alone. Always. It’s a personal fact, I don’t have statistics. But women travellers are certainly out there in the world (myself included) and there are A LOT of us.

So who was this eye-opening email from? Well, excitingly, for a feminist travel blogger it was a press release from Unearth Women. A brand new print and digital feminist travel publication launching in the autumn.

A travel publication with a mission to “empower female travellers, celebrate the diversity of women in the travel space, and unearth women’s stories globally” is definitely one that I will be subscribing to. It’s great news that more and more women are trying to claim more space in the travel world. Sharing female stories, perspectives and experiences in a safe place where we get to be protagonists and heroes and not just trusty sidekicks.

The first issue offers the following inspirational and enticing articles:

An essay from GLORIA STEINEM on her early India travels.

An exclusive interview with The New York Times best-selling author, AMANDA LINDHOUT.

A feature on South Africa’s BLACK MAMBAS, the all-female, anti-poaching unit.

A profile on CNN Hero and United Nations Humanitarian Award Winner, ROSE MAPENDO.

A Destination spotlight on Germany’s Hidden Wine Country, FRANCONIA.

A feminist city guide to BUENOS AIRES.

Have a peek and if you’re interested and want to grab your own copy of this brand new feminist print and digital magazine pop over to their website to sign up. *This is not an affiliate link.

Are Feminist Travel Magazines and Blogs the Answer?

I’m very excited about receiving my first issue of Unearth Women… but there is a part of me that wonders if one day there will be a time when feminist travel magazines aren’t craved, aren’t needed to redress the balance. A time when women in travel will be well and truthfully represented.

Although I will always be interested in another women’s stories and adventures as shared experiences interest me. Maybe one day this really will be a World for a Girl and the publishing and travel spheres will create well-balanced and equal opportunities for all genders and creeds in a totally unbiased way.

Thanks for reading!

**I have only read Chasing 193 the original book published in 2015. In 2016, a second volume of published.

If you are interested in reading about other fantastic Female Travellers. One of my favourite analogies is The Virago Book of Women Travellers, a collection of curated extracts written by women travellers from Mary Wollstonecraft to Joan Didion.

You may also be interested in my post Amazing Women around the World: Feminist Books for Children

Featured photo thanks to Danka & Peter on Unsplash

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase a product through one of my links. I may receive a small commission at absolutely no charge to you. Thanks for supporting World for a Girl.