Webpage for female travellers
From BeVolunteer Wiki
If you are a female traveller, travelling alone:
Contents |
Preparation
For safety reasons some preparation is recommended for female travellers travelling alone
Think twice before choosing your host
- you might feel safer with a girl or a couple as a host
- if you choose a male host, make sure that
- he has some positive comments (also from female guests). Spend time reading comments and don’t be satisfied with party-comments only.
- exchange some mails with your future host before actually meeting him.
- meet him in a busy part of the town first, before going to his place.
- if anything in your host’s behaviour makes you feel uneasy, refuse to stay at his place. It is better to pay for a hostel than to find yourself in dangerous situation.
always have a back-up prepared
- If you don't have a guide book, print out the numbers of cheap hostels or hotels
have the emergency numbers of the respective country ready
- general emergency numbers are listed in most guide books
- you will find a list for specific emergency numbers on this site, but it might not be complete. Print it out, since you might not have access to a computer with internet.
Precautions to take when you are on the road
Think about the culture you are going to meet
- dress appropriately.
Remember that clothes make a statement about yourself. Do not provoke. Proper clothes may be a very good and efficient barrier.
- keep your distance.
Be ready to show you are not interested in conversation. Sometimes turning around and walking away is the best thing to do. Don’t let men provoke you.
- be aware that in certain cultures men tend to show their attention in a special way, that may not be acceptable for you===
In most cases, the best solution is to ignore.
Tips and tricks
- don’t tell men you are travelling alone. Your big and very jealous boyfriend just went to the toilet.
- buy a cheap "wedding ring". In many countries a married woman is seen as property of another man and therefore "out of reach"
- avoid going to pubs and bars on your own
- avoid dark and deserted places
- if you ask for advice or directions choose police officers or women to help you.
What to do in risky situations
at your host's place
- as soon as you noticed any inappropriate behaviour, react. Don’t let your host feel that you will allow him everything.
- again keep your distance. Cross your hands on your chest and stand with your legs a bit apart. This position says : I am not interested in having any contact with you.
- state clearly and forcefully, that you are not interested in any closer contact.
The stronger and more confident you seem, the bigger chance your oppressor will be discouraged
- if you feel in danger, leave the house as soon as possible. Don’t worry about your things, they can be recuperated later with a key local volunteer or police assistance
- don’t hesitate to call the police or a key local volunteer. They are there for you to help.
in the street
- take any chance to run away and be loud. Shout for help. This will discourage your oppressor. Statistics show that a combination of strong verbal response (yelling) and physical resistance (which includes running) provides the greatest chance to escape.
- address passers by personally ("You, with the red jumper and the baseball cap, help me, or call the police!"). That way people can't hide in anonymity.
- it is a good idea to have a pepper spray or a loud whistle. Don’t hesitate to use both of them. If you don’t have a pepper spray, deodorant spray works perfectly well.
Things to remember
- whatever happened it was not your fault. It is important to let us know. We are there to help you and to prevent any further situations like this.
- don’t hesitate to write a negative comment, even if nothing happened but you felt that the behaviour of your host was inappropriate.
- report any problems to the abuse team.
Tips by countries
Germany
You find hotlines and help in most towns in Germany.
- The best way to check what is locally available is this webpage that also provides some information in English, French and Spanish: [1]
- Frauenhaus
All over Germany there are houses for women and girls in emergency. For Nordrhein-Westfalen you can find out here: [2] For the rest of Germany you can best google ("Frauenhaus, name of the city you are")
India
- There are special train compartments exclusively for female travellers
- A ring on the second toe of your right (r left? to be checked) foot indicates you are married
Egypt
- some metro carts in the middle of the train for women.
- in crowded places some will try to touch you
