While in Salvador, Brazil, Helene Dötsch met photographer Céu Albuquerque. Joining the photographer for one of her sessions, she discovered how Céu helps women and non-binary people all over Brazil…
12 Things the Travel Industry Can *Actually* Do to Support Women (Beyond Posting On Social Media)
Another day, another Women’s History Month. It seems every year this magical month comes around when I am asked to speak at events and hit the news circuits, make exciting…
[Media Planet] Beth Santos on Shifting the Safety Narrative for Solo Women Travelers
Beth Santos, founder and CEO of Wanderful, which specializes in empowering women to travel the world, talks about the focus on the perils of traveling solo for women, and why it’s important to move away from this talking point.
What It’s like to Travel as a Genderqueer Person
Sometimes gender can’t be read upon first impression. And as you’re probably imagining, this can make a lot of daily situations awkward or unpleasant. As a genderqueer person, I find…
Don’t Forget Your Name, or Your Gender: the Trans, Nonbinary, and Queer Travel Guide
We all know that travel is great. And we also all know that the actual processes of traveling can be frustrating and exhausting, taking quite a lot of mental and…
Violence or Fetishization, and Sometimes Both: What It’s like to Travel as a Black Woman
“Your body is your first home. Breathing in, I arrive in my body. Breathing out, I am home.” –Thich Nhat Hahn And so I am home. I carry home everywhere…
6 Ways Travel Will Save This Hurting World
Look, I know I’m preaching to the converted here when I say travel is a great thing. I’m talking to you, backpacking from Ushuaia to Alaska; to you, out volunteering…
How to Travel Solo Again After Being Sexually Assaulted
By the age of 19, I was well-traveled. A Navy brat, I had lived in many towns along the coastline of the Eastern United States, vacationed in Jamaica, and spent…
Solo Travel for Black Women: The Ultimate Guide
Solo travel can be a scary concept, no matter who you are. Add in being a woman — and a black woman, at that — and suddenly traveling alone can…
“Vacation Cutting” — A Terrible Misnomer for Female Genital Mutilation
“Vacation cutting.” I hate that term. Placing the words next to one another is a contradiction. When I think of a “vacation,” my mind wanders into the direction of glistening…
4 Kick-Ass Organizations Fighting to Stop Street Harassment
It’s not just catcalling; it’s street harassment. We need to change the language around street harassment so that it’s seen as a serious problem… …said Rachel, a Peace Corps Health…
That Time I Was Almost Kicked Off an Airplane for Being Fat
If you’ve seen any of my photos on Instagram, you may think that my travel life is a scrapbook of always-perfect experiences. That’s not entirely true. No one wants to hear about…
Why Women’s Votes Matter and What Feminism Has to Do with Them
Working towards the right to vote. Image from Wikimedia Commons. On August 18, 2015 the United States marked the 95th anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Ninety-five years of cis…
Know Before You Go: Jordan
Floating in the Dead Sea! Image by Colleen Hagerty. This month I decided to try something new and let you lovely Wanderful readers choose the focus of this column! Cathy…
Peace Corps Tanzania: How I Fight for Queer Rights from The Travel Closet
A challenge: our safari car getting stuck in a lake bed. Photo courtesy of Ali Rucker. To celebrate the first year of my Peace Corps service, I wanted to incorporate another Peace…