5 Easy Tips For Teaching Girls To Be Bold Travelers

girl looking out window of boat
June 29, 2016

When it comes to teaching girls about the world, it's sometimes hard to avoid using cautionary tales. As much as I hate to admit it, the world can be a downright inhospitable place for a woman.

As a parent to a daughter, I occasionally feel fearful for what my daughter may experience growing up. In the era of "Me Too," these fears are certainly not unfounded.

I wonder if we she will face sexual harassment as a teen or adult. And I worry that someone may assault her one day. Every day, I read stories of bad things happening to women, and I fear that one day that story will be about my daughter.

This post was updated on May 11, 2022.


This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase something. But don't worry, this will not result in any extra costs to you.


Traveling in Ubud, Indonesia (October 2019)

A dangerous place for a woman

On a trip to Delhi, India with kids, we once rode in a taxi with a sticker on it that read, "This Taxi Respects Women." When I first saw it, I thought to myself, "oh, how cute, they like women." But then it dawned on me that the sticker is there because it's probably not safe for a woman in India to ride in a taxi alone.

My female Indian coworkers later confirmed this to me, explaining that sexual assault against women in taxis and public transportation is all too common in major Indian cities like Delhi. The most well-known case was in 2012 when a 23 year old woman was gang raped by several men on a public bus in Delhi. The men were later convicted, but that case really sparked dialogue in India about the male-centric culture that allows these kinds of things to happen.

Those stickers are part of an initiative by the Manas Foundation to teach taxi drivers how to treat their female passengers and how to prevent sexual assault of their female passengers.

Our taxi driver in Delhi respects women! (June 2016)

What are we teaching girls about the world?

Sadly, this type of thing is not just limited to India, but can happen anywhere in the world. For a place that can be at times unwelcoming to women, how can we, as parents, start teaching girls to love and appreciate the world? How can we be the female role models for our daughters?

I am not one to shy away from showing my kids the uncomfortable sides of travel. We have seen fancy five star hotels, and the slums that exist right next to them. Our kids have seen beggars on the street, and we've talked about how some people don't have enough money to have their own house or to even buy food to eat. Understanding our privilege in travel is important in raising avid travellers.

But the topic of sexual assault is something that we've never really discussed. How do we broach that topic when it comes to teaching girls? To a five year old girl, the world is a fun and exciting place. I hesitate to tarnish that innocent wonder with the idea that it can be dangerous, especially for a woman.

A mother and daughter standing on the edge of a cliff looking out into the ocean, teaching girls about the world
Looking out into the Pacific Ocean (October 2018)

Traveling as a woman

My own experiences of traveling as a woman have been fairly positive. I believe that in general, people are trustworthy and honest. There have only been a few times where I can honestly say I felt uncomfortable and unsafe.

The one incident I remember the most was in Indonesia. I was visiting a theme park with my mom and sisters. I was thirteen, and waiting in line for a ride. Behind me was a group of teenage boys, maybe eighteen or nineteen, who started touching my sister and me. They were subtle touches, on my elbows, hands, and waist. Not enough to classify as sexual assault. But it was enough to make me feel uncomfortable and to know that it wasn't right. My mom was oblivious to it all. And I was too young and embarrassed to tell her what was going on.

I think about this moment when I think about my daughter. How would I want her to react in a situation like this? For a long time I thought to myself, "oh, it's because I was dressed in shorts and a tank top in a conservative country. I should have been dressed more modestly. Then they wouldn't have wanted to touch me at all." But now that I think about it, that's exactly the blame-the-victim mentality that perpetuates this type of behavior. When I think more closely about teaching girls to be fearless world travelers, I realize that it starts with teaching them that situations like these are not their fault.

Two women and a girl walking on a red dirt road, teaching girls to travel
Walking with my friend and my daughter in Paraguay (April 2013)

Teaching girls not to fear the world

As parents, our main responsibility is to prepare our kids for the world. If we're teaching girls to venture out into the world, we need to give them the right tools and knowledge to explore it on their own. A good place to start is with a book.

Here are some great books to read with your daughters to inspire them to travel the world:

Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of "Brave Bessie" Coleman by Reeve Lindbergh (for ages 6-9)

Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of the Sky! (Show Me History!) by James Buckley Jr. (for ages 8-12)

The Atlas of Women Explorers by Ricardo Francaviglia (for ages 8 and older)

No Boundaries: 25 Women Explorers and Scientists by Gabby Salazar (for ages 10-15)

Around the World in Seventy Two Days (And Other Writings) by Nellie Bly (for ages 16 and older)

Exposing your daughters to women who are adventurous is an excellent first step towards teaching girls to be bold.

I may be fearful of the future, but I'm also hopeful that my daughter will be able to handle any situation she comes upon with confidence and bravery. Here are five more ways you can empower your daughters to become fearless world travelers.

Walking with my daughter through Mayan ruins (October 2018)

Ready for a change? Take the first step to living a life of full time travel.

1. Don't shy away from the uncomfortable

All too often, we think that kids are too young to handle anything unpleasant. We only want to give them happiness and enjoyment.

So we opt to take our kids to places like Disney theme parks or all-inclusive resorts and cruises. Or we only choose easy destinations like Europe or Hawaii.

While I do enjoy being pampered once in awhile, I think we do our kids a great disservice by only showing them the comfortable parts of the world. On your next travels, let your kids see some of the things that aren't often highlighted in travel brochures.

Ideas include taking them to off the beaten path cities like Hanoi or Johannesburg. Alternatively, you can visit a war memorial or museum like the ones in Washington, DC. Or you can take cultural tours like the ones we took in Bali, where you see first hand a different way of life.

Let your kids ask questions. Allow yourself an opportunity to talk candidly about why poverty exists, why war happens, why inequality exists, and why sometimes the world is not always a nice place. It may be too early to talk about sexual assault, especially if your kids are young. However, exposing your kids to places that may be slightly uncomfortable for them helps prepare them for the realities of the world.

girl looking at street, teaching girls about travel
Traveling in India with my daughter (June 2016)

2. Provide a listening ear

When I was thirteen, I was too afraid to tell my mom what happened because I thought she would simply dismiss it or blame me for it all. Now that I'm a parent, I realize that fostering an open relationship with your child starts at an early age.

On your travels, and even at home, try and provide a listening ear to your kids. If something happens to them, show them compassion and help them feel comfortable in sharing their concerns and worries with you, no matter how trivial and mundane it may seem to you. Later on, when your daughter is older and traveling on her own, she'll feel more comfortable confiding in you when something negative does happen to her.

Exploring Singapore with my daughter (January 2020)

3. Share stories of fearless women

History is full stories of famous adventurers. Unfortunately, most of them are men: Marco Polo, Lewis and Clark, Jacques Cousteau, Anthony Bourdain. Not so much is written about female adventurers.

One of my favorite female explorers, Freya Stark, traveled through the Middle East in an age when women rarely traveled outside the home. Nellie Bly was the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. National Geographic has a great compilation of visionary female adventurers.

Reading stories of fearless women helps girls feel empowered to explore themselves. They realize that there are no limits to their exploration and curiosity.

A road side attraction in the United States (October 2018)

4. Be an example for teaching girls to be fearless

The best thing we can do when we're teaching girls, especially our daughters, is to lead by example. If we want our daughters to be fearless, we need to be fearless ourselves.

True, there are certain cautionary steps we need to teach our kids when we travel. This includes looking both ways when crossing the street, never talking to strangers, or staying with a grown-up in new situations. But don't let these precautions hinder you from going out and exploring.

My daughter sees me traveling on my own. She's seen pictures of the places I've visited. We've talked at great length about places in the world that we want to see together. All of this helps to instill a spirit of travel and exploration in her that I hope to continue nurturing as she grows older. I know that if I want my daughter to be an explorer, I myself need to be an explorer too.

astrid standing on rock
Visiting Victoria Falls in Zambia on my own (September 2016)

5. Seek out groups who can support you

I am learning more as I travel that it's hard to operate alone. Having a community who can support you, encourage you, and inspire you can be so valuable.

Over the years, I have joined many online and in-person groups that have helped me to become a better mom and role model for my daughter. One of my favorite groups is Wanderful, which is dedicated to creating a community of women travelers. But I also like Wandering Moms, which focuses on moms who travel with their kids, and the many challenges that come with that role.

Seeking out and joining communities where you feel valued and supported can help you to do better in valuing and supporting your daughters.

wits panel of women travel writers
Connecting with other traveling moms through Wanderful (May 2019)

Being honest and open to hard conversations

The world can be a scary place, especially for a woman. And for parents raising young girls, it can be difficult to know what the best path is to fully prepare them for the realities of the world. In the end, I don't think there is a straightforward answer. But I do know that being honest and open to those hard conversations is more often than not a step in the right direction.

Are you teaching girls to be world travelers? What are your thoughts and insights?

Inspired to take that leap into full time travel? Use my ebook, Hey Kids, Let’s Go Travel! as a resource for tools, advice, and action steps for planning your trip.

Teaching Girls Not to Fear the World | The Wandering Daughter | Tips for teaching girls to become fearless travelers.

Need help thinking through how to budget for a family trip? My Travel Budget Worksheet is just the tool you need! Click here to receive your free copy by signing up for my newsletter.

Want to connect with me on social media? Find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. And for those of you who are dedicated to traveling more responsibly, sustainably, and ethically, join over 200 like-minded families on my Facebook group, Responsible Family Travel.

Sharing is caring!

Related Posts

Sign up to get travel tips in your inbox!

Affiliates

This website participates in affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates, Stay22, Viator, Lingopie, AvantLink, and SafetyWing. As an affiliate for these programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Contact us

Copyright ©2023 Astrid Vinje TheWanderingDaughter.com