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What It Means To Be A Solo FEMALE Traveller

by Katie Dawes

Yesterday I read an article by Sabina, of GirlvsGlobe.com titled: Why I’m Not A Solo Female Traveller.

In the article, Sabina shares her frustrations surrounding the often heard statement that she is “So brave for a girl!“. She argues that the female qualifier in travel, and the gender rhetoric that underlies the articles of self-proclaimed ‘solo female travellers’ is:

a) a suggestion that female and male travellers are inherently different and,

b) unnecessary.

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I read through the article over and again.

Sabina’s blog and also her career is one that has not only inspired me over the years, but I’d be willing to put money on the fact that she has inspired countless women to follow their travel or blogging dreams. Whether solo or not. Her articles often inspire discussion around a topic and force readers to look closer at issues that are close to her own heart.

But this article is one that I felt was a little misled. The concept, that we shouldn’t have to use a female qualifier when writing about our travel experience, is one that I admire. However, it’s not one that I agree with for the following reasons…

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The Gender Issue Already Exists, Whether We Want It To Or Not

Sabina begins the article by summarising her frustration with the fact that female travellers are seen as a “different breed of traveller altogether” than male travellers. She then follows this by arguing that we need to stop focusing on the female experience as something separate from the human experience as a whole:

“You know what’s even better than being a successful female CEO or an accomplished female cardiovascular surgeon? Being recognised as somebody who is good at their job, without making it a gender issue.”

In response to a comment left on her Facebook Page she, continues to hold this belief that by talking about solo female travel, and not travel in general, we are creating a gender issue.

“There are lots of people doing it nowadays, both men and women. The credit of course goes to the trailblazers who made it possible… but I kind of think we can shift away from the gendered rhetoric.

The main reason I disagree with these points is because calling someone a successful female CEO is not making their job a gender issue. Their situation is already a gender issue that must be addressed. Of the 100 people named as CEOs of FTSE 100 companies, only seven are women. And when it comes to female surgeons, only 19% of surgeons in the US are female.

I believe that women should continue to highlight this existing gender issue as long as others continue to believe in sexist stereotypes rather than equality.

By ‘others’, I’m referring to the quotes you’ll see throughout this article from people in power.

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So, I’m sorry Sabina, but as long as there are those that believe that women are not equal to men, I will continue to make an issue about it.

It’s Not About Being A Solo Female Traveller. It’s About Being Female.

Later in the article, Sabina highlights an issue with solo female travel blogging that in many ways I agree continues to cast the stereotype that women are less capable than men. That issue is the publication of articles such as “top destinations for solo female travellers.”

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Her argument is that all destinations are accessible, no matter whether you are female or male. However, in her conclusion she implies that the intentions of bloggers to encourage more women to travel solo through such articles carries negative implications.

“Your vagina doesn’t magically render you unable to travel wherever you damn well please. So the next time you refer to yourself as a solo female traveller, please just think about what the term really means and what implications it carries.”

There isn’t much clarity as to what these negative implications are, but to assert that blogging about solo female travel does a disservice to the global woman’s fight for equality isn’t quite right. The fact is, as a female traveller you are more aware of situations when you travel solo.

So the issue isn’t about being a solo female traveller. It’s about being a female traveller in general. Of course, every woman should travel as they wish, whether that’s solo or not. This is something I also tried to highlight in a recent post I wrote on why hostels should not be a place where rape is a joke.

But to further equality between men and women, we must talk about and highlight what it means to travel as a female.

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Start The Discussion

So the next time someone tells you you’re doing great for a girl, ask them why.

And when they finally, and probably awkwardly, reply by highlighting that what you are doing seems normal for a man but out of the ordinary for a women, again ask them why.

And then, when they try and mumble something about the stereotypes of women, how we are deemed less business-minded, brave or strong, ask them if they believe that this is the stereotype or the truth.

No matter their answer, you will have taken their idea that you are doing ‘great for a girl’ and turned into a trigger to talk about the real problem.

And that problem is that whether it comes to travel, business, health, politics, religion or lifestyle – there is still a gender gap that we should not shift away from until men and women are equal.

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***

Before publishing this, I reached out to Sabina with a draft and we dug into the situation a bit further. I think in the end we agreed to disagree about the concept of her original article, but she did further clarify a few of the topics I hit on in this response:

“You’re right – to assert that blogging about solo female travel does a disservice to the global women’s fight for equality would not be quite right. 100% with you there.

But that’s not what I’m saying. Blogging about solo female travel is wonderful and should be encouraged. I read many of those blogs myself and deeply respect their creators. Again, it’s the *wording* I have issue with – never the actual content. If somebody was to write a post about “top x destinations where you’re least likely to be sexually harassed” that would be a different matter than a “top x destinations for solo female travellers”, in my eyes anyway. 

I do *know* there’s a gender issue at play here. Of course I do. I just feel like putting too much emphasis on female employees being female actually draws the focus *away* from the work they’re doing and toward their gender. Which is not the point. I think we need to get women into fields where they’re underrepresented and then just show them rocking at their jobs. Otherwise we risk arguments of preferential treatment which I’ve often heard from men, along the lines of “she was only hired because they needed a woman”. Let’s show the world we’re not there to fill a quota, we’re there because we’re qualified and awesome.”

***

Personally, I understand the frustration felt that as women we are praised for undertaking certain roles precisely because the perception is that we are undertaking roles that are perceived as normal for men but out of the ordinary, or ‘brave’ for women.

But I approve of drawing the focus towards gender because then those women pave a path for the girls to come later.

Like this? Pin it…

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Let me know what your thoughts are on this, either in the comments below or in the comments section of Sabina’s original article.

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6 comments

Nancy March 22, 2017 - 4:07 pm

Katie, I think you’re spot on!

After reading Sabina’s article as well, I came away thinking that maybe in 99% of daily human interactions, it would be irritating and even demeaning to constantly emphasize someone’s gender. My doctor is a woman, but I don’t refer to her as my female doctor. She’s just my doctor.

On the other hand, in print/media, I think it’s generally helpful AND empowering to include the modifier “female.” When I see a blog post titled “Top 10 Tips for Traveling as a Solo Female,” I expect to see gender-specific content. A post titled “Top 10 Countries for Female Solo Travelers,” seems like it would just be a helpful starting point for women traveling alone for the first time, not necessarily something limiting. There are almost 200 countries out there, and it can be hard to decide on a place if you don’t have any context about what to expect.

Furthermore, I know that as women, we face some pretty ridiculous obstacles to get to the same place as men. As travelers, we encounter scenarios that most men wouldn’t, from things like sexual assault to basic cultural norms and dress codes to hygiene (hello, being on your period and not being able to find tampons). Calling out those specific obstacles draws attention to them, and information is always better than ignorance. When I see an article about how a woman worked her way to the top of a company and is now CEO, I feel admiration and respect. She’s a female CEO, and the “female” qualifier means she had to face challenges that her male peers never did. Again, highlighting these extra challenges draws attention to the inequality and sexism that we still face in the world, and how else would we change things if we aren’t aware of them?

Anyway, thanks for such a thought-provoking article to start my day 🙂

Katie Dawes March 24, 2017 - 2:26 pm

Hi Nancy, thanks for reading and taking the time to leave such a well-thought out comment! I think you made a great point – that having the ‘female’ qualifier should actually be seen as a sign of obstacles overcome, rather than saying that she ‘did well for a girl’. Phew the original article has really got us all thinking!

Serena March 23, 2017 - 2:39 am

I love this! I think it really works to your point that you add in all those other amazing sources and quotes. The Gypsy vs Globe article also inspired me to write a post in response, last night actually. Looking forward to reading more of your stuff x

Katie Dawes March 24, 2017 - 2:02 pm

Hi Serena, I’m glad you like the way I formatted my response. I can’t wait to read yours 🙂

Candy March 23, 2017 - 9:02 pm

I love your stand on this matter and that you’re using your voice to empower female travellers. I’m on exchange in Istanbul and I feel conscious all the time when I go anywhere alone, even when I’m with my boyfriend. Especially since we are Asian and look different from most people, we draw a lot of stares from people in public.

When we went to Cappadocia, our guide made some very prejudiced comments. I was offended but took no action. Normally, back in Singapore I’m very vocal about fighting deeply rooted misogynist mindsets; I’m sad that I could not find it in me to speak up when I’m out of my comfort zone.

I’m hoping that I’ll overcome this when we backpack Europe after this semester ends!!

Katie Dawes March 24, 2017 - 2:00 pm

Hi Candy. Thank you for taking the time to read this and offering your own experience. It’s a shame that we are put in positions that make us wonder if we are speaking out enough, and truth be told it’s only something I began to feel confident about doing here on the blog at the start of this year. I hope that your good experiences outweigh the bad… and confidence comes with time!

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