“Why was she backpacking alone?”
“What was she doing meeting a man on Tinder?”
The victim blaming I’ve seen online this week, for Grace Millane, the British backpacker murdered in New Zealand, has been disgusting. Suggestions that a 22-year-old woman was in some way asking for it, or that it was inevitable, that if she dared to travel and to use the technology available to us now to enrich the experience, she deserved what she got.
We don’t know the exact circumstances of her death, but it wasn’t travel that killed her, or New Zealand, or Tinder, or what she wore – it was, by all accounts, that man.
And now, the case will be used to suggest that women shouldn’t travel alone, for oppressors to say:
“Look, this is what will happen if you travel solo as a woman”.
Just a few “hot takes” from Twitter about Grace Millane over the past few days.
I am thankful the majority of people are expressing love and support for the family, and anger at the actual perpetrator of the crime. pic.twitter.com/iQfXAhpDdm— Jennifer Duke ? (@JennieDuke) December 8, 2018
Solo female travellers
In all my travels, from spending a week in luxury in Barbados to travelling solo around Papua New Guinea, there have been raised eyebrows and confusion at the fact I’m travelling alone.
“No husband?”
People feel sorry for you. Like it wasn’t a conscious choice to travel the world care free and to think of no one but yourself. They pity you, or assume there must be some sort of problem.
“Never been a fan of these young girls travelling alone!” Says Jerry, 59, from Bournemouth.
Tbh Jerry I’ve never been a fan of men thinking they can commit acts of violence against women 24/7. But sure, blame the innocent victim for being horrifically murdered #GraceMillane— sam 삼 (@samfoxx_) December 9, 2018
A female actually choosing to travel alone is not only unthinkable in a lot of the Third World, but also in the UK. I remember when I started my three years of solo travel, with six weeks in Mexico. Friends and family worried if I would be ok.
“Mexico? By yourself?”
And yes, I survived. As millions of other solo female travellers have as they travel the world to understand different cultures. To see the world’s most impressive landscapes. To meet people and to experience a life so different to their own.
I’m sure the only difference between Grace and I is, I didn’t meet a murderer.
Women travelling solo
The comments I’ve seen about Grace are just the same as the comments left for the two Argentinian backpackers Maria Coni, 22, and Marina Menegazzo, 21, who were sexually assaulted and killed in February 2016, while traveling in Ecuador.
Full of blame for the intrepid women.
The pair were reportedly bludgeoned across the head by two men who had offered them a place to stay after they were running out of money. An offer I know for a fact my male travel friends would take up, thinking of it as a ‘cultural experience’.
“#viajasolo” – Spanish for ‘I travel alone’ – was picked up all over the world in the wake of the brutal deaths, to show solidarity for the independent, strong and unlimited women who’d dared to do what many men do without hesitation: trust others.
The fact that the women weren’t even travelling alone, they were together, seemed to have escaped the media who criticised them.
‘Alone’ just meant: without a male.
What do female backpackers need to be equal to men?
Why is it more dangerous for women to hitchhike? To stay in hotels? To accept invites for meals? To make friends.
Why are the cultural experiences available to men, not available to us, for fear of gendered violence?
It’s the privilege of growing up as a male, rather than a female, that makes you not question the danger.
Dear world. The question isn’t why Grace was out alone or whether she was on Tinder. The question is how this sick, entitled individual ever grew up thinking it’s alright take a life. I hope one day girls will be able to explore and trust and love without fear #GraceMillane
— Hope ❤️ (@actualhope) December 9, 2018
I was looking at the line up for the annual Adventure Show in London last week. Going off typically female / male names, there are 49 talks, with 13 of them from women. Why aren’t there more women adventuring, and wanting to regale their tales to inspire others?
I had some criticism on an article I wrote about sleeping on trains in Vietnam. At the time, I was travelling with my ex-boyfriend, yet still, as I lay awake in a cabin with him above me sleeping, and two strangers in the other two beds, I worried about my safety. As I say in the article I weighed up my physical strength against the other men, I made an exit strategy if either of them had a tool for suppression, and I made sure to stay alert as my ex slept, so I could defend myself.
Neither man had done anything to suggest danger, other than be a man I didn’t know.
A commenter called ‘Matt’ – so let’s assume he’s a guy – said I was a racist and sexist and ‘playing the victim’. No ‘Matt’. I was a female in a vulnerable position. It’s lovely that you don’t have to worry about things like this, but lying in a sleeper cabin, in a room where I know one guy wasn’t registered to even be on the train, is a worrying situation.
Imagine the comments if the men had done something to me.
“Why did she fall asleep?”
“What was she wearing?”
“Why was she in a cabin with three men?”
“HAD SHE BEEN DRINKING?”
READ MORE: Am I Lonely? Travelling Solo
Best destinations for solo female travellers
God you see these lists doing the rounds all over the internet. When the truth is 80% (guesstimate) of the world is the same – you have your sketchy areas, and your safe, in any country and city. Generally, you’re going to be ok when you follow the rules of safety you’ve inherently learnt from childhood.
Unless you happen to meet a psycho who gives you no chance of survival – which happens at home, more than it does abroad.
And anyway, I’ll bet you that New Zealand is on most, if not all of these lists. Statistically and factually, it’s a safe place, which I’m sure was one of the considerations Grace Millane took in when she decided to travel there.
Is this usually well-meaning travel advice just another way to try and control women? To use fear to tell them where to go so they won’t get raped and murdered?
The world is as safe as it is dangerous, and unfortunately, it’s usually not a country that will kill you, but a fatal encounter with a person in it.
Female solo travel in numbers
If you look at the figures, the fact is, travelling solo as a female is statistically relatively safe.
“According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), in 2013-14 there were 106 reported rapes of British nationals abroad and 152 reported sexual assaults. The Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales, released by the Ministry of Justice, Home Office and Office for National Statistics in 2013, revealed that 85,000 women are raped in England and Wales every year, of whom around 15% report the incident to police.”
– The Guardian, Why is travelling alone still considered a risky, frivolous pursuit for women?
If I look back to all the countries I’ve ever been to, the only times I’ve ever felt at risk, was in London, in New Orleans, and in Caye Caulker in Belize – only three places out of hundreds. And it wasn’t the places, it was the people around me, and the hyped media stories I read while I was there.
I’ve travelled to Central America, to Africa and to Papua New Guinea. The kind of places where if something had happened to me that made national news, there would be commenters asking:
“Well, what did she expect?”
What could’ve saved Grace, Maria and Marina?
Seriously?
What, not travelling? So just stay at home. In actual fact, the home is the most dangerous place for a woman – statistically.
– NOT MEETING ABSOLUTE PSYCHOS who decided to murder innocent women.
Who thought it was ok to kill.
Things not responsible for murder: clothing, alcohol, dating, dating apps, hotels, hotel rooms, solo travelling, walking alone, dark nights, the victim.
Things responsible for murder: the murderer.
— Jo Sullivan (@jomsull78) December 9, 2018
The recommendations for us women out there to not get murdered include:
– Don’t go out late at night
“So you’re meant to stay in your room and not soak up the night time atmosphere?”
– Don’t wear short skirts
“It’s hot.”
– Don’t talk to strangers
“That’s kinda the point of travelling.”
– Don’t drink too much
“So, tell me, how much is too much?”
– Always let a friend know where you are.
“I’m travelling solo, it’s kinda the point.”
– Wear a wedding ring
“Oh, so they know I BELONG TO SOMEONE.”
Instead of these recommendations, why don’t you just not murder me.
Solo travel as a female
– You’re wolf whistled in the street, in order to get your attention.
– You’re judged on what you wear.
– You’re stared at.
– Unabashed nonchalant ogling is the norm.
– You’ll hear hissing, clacking and whistling as you walk the streets.
– Verbal aggression is normal, especially if you’re rejecting advances.
– You’re always asked about children – are men?
If anyone does any of the things above to you, they think they’re better than you and absolutely do not respect you. And, in my experience, it will always be the men.
Low level misogyny as you travel is everywhere. Here are just a few examples, from many of the past…
– I was on a plane travelling domestically in Papua New Guinea. The guy sat next to me, who I’d had a lengthy conversation with, about life and careers in general, said ‘good girl’ when I chose a beer from the drinks cart. Never, would I have even thought to say to him ‘good boy’ at his drinks choice. Another patronising comment showing he thought he was better than me in some way.
– In Belize, a local guy shouted at me ‘slow down woman, ya bouncing’, as I hurriedly walked past him wearing a top and bikini top underneath. Referring to my breasts.
– Man spreading on planes. I make a conscious effort not to take up anyone else’s space on a plane. Low level men’s domination.
– In Oz the only guy in the group was taking ages to make a fire for a BBQ. We wanted to eat and go to bed. One of the women just grabbed the materials and started up a flame immediately. He kicked off – in a really embarrassing way. “Do you know how emasculated that makes me feel?”
READ MORE: 27 Tips for Solo Travellers
My code of travel
I live with the expectation that something bad will happen, and this has served me well in the fact that nothing particularly ever has, but it’s also robbed me of what I’m sure could’ve been some incredible experiences around the world.
– Me in Papua New Guinea
I love the idea of learning about a destination through the locals, but unfortunately unless I have a personal connection, or there’s some website to verify authenticity and safety, or I’m in a group – there’s no way I’m going to anyone’s house.
I have met people from Tinder as I’ve travelled though. I have gone out with people I’ve only known half an hour, I’ve slept in dorms, I’ve drank, I’ve even been drunk, I’ve worn short skirts, and I’ve had the best time meeting new people and seeking new experiences.
SOLO TRAVEL IS A FEMINIST ISSUE
The victim blaming I’ve seen online this week towards #GraceMillane has shocked me. Solo female travel is NOT to blame here.
Neither is Tinder, New Zealand, what she was wearing or if she’d had anything to drink. https://t.co/KOHjQ5j7WL
— VickyFlipFlop (@VickyFlipFlop) December 10, 2018
Women, go forth and travel
It’s a scary thing to trailblaze: to be a confident woman travelling solo abroad. You can’t just retire back to your bed at night and congratulate yourself on a day well lived, you have to stay alert and have the burden of worrying about your safety.
I’m sure some women don’t even realise they’re doing it. I didn’t, until I spoke to males about how they felt in certain situations.
I’ve followed Grace’s case intently. I’m so sad for her family and friends, a life pointlessly snubbed out for a reason we don’t yet know and will probably ever understand. Thanks to one man.
I really hope her case doesn’t put anyone thinking of travelling, going though. The world is an amazing place, and as the statistics prove, it’s just not as dangerous as the media suggests. Murders of tourists abroad get a huge amount of coverage because it’s such an anomaly.
Thousands of women go travelling every day and come back having achieved their dreams and enriched their lives. Sending the message to women that it’s too dangerous to travel, limits their horizons and prospects. As they have been for the history of womankind.
Anyone who’s been shook by this horrific case, I urge you to travel with empowerment and stay curious and strong.
Female solo travel is NOT the problem here. It’s violence against women, and the continuing narrative that still, despite being the victim, women are to blame.
I’d love to know your thoughts…
Either on my Facebook post, or in the comments below.
What do you think about solo female travel?
Statement from Grace’s father, David Millane, and her family
“Grace went off to travel the world in mid-October and arrived in New Zealand on the 20th November.
By the amount of pictures and messages we received she clearly loved this country, its people and the lifestyle.
After the disappearance of Grace on 1st December 2018 our whole world turned upside down.
We all hope that what has happened to Grace will not deter even one person from venturing out into the world and discovering their own OE (overseas experience).
Finally we would like to thank the people of New Zealand for their outpouring of love, numerous messages, tributes and compassion.
Grace was not born here and only managed to stay a few weeks, but you have taken her to your hearts and in some small way she will forever be a Kiwi.
My brother Martin and I leave for the UK this weekend to take her home.”
Sarah Hennessy
Tuesday 17th of September 2019
I think this is a really interesting and thought out article, and I do agree with your comments. Only one person was at fault here.
I regularly travel solo throughout Africa. However, safety is a key area of concern for me. I do plan carefully to make sure I am taking sensible routes, and staying in areas where I know I will feel safe getting back to at night. I also avoid public transport after dark, or in remote areas - as this just makes me feel safer. Have I missed out on exciting interactions because of these measures......probably! I guess that is my compromise. With the exception of the additional attention I attract by simply being a solo female traveller, I have never had any issues, and will continue to explore this beautiful continent....
As a side - I was one of the 13 female presenters last year at the Adventure Travel Show. I really do feel we need to have more visible input from female solo travellers, who can share realistic and positive experiences with others who may be nervous about travelling alone.
Grow up
Sunday 1st of September 2019
Fine, don't take responsibility for your lack of foresight.
What if I went on a trip to Syria? Not my fault I got my head cut off, but it is my fault for being stupid and going to Syria.
What if I tried to climb a tall mountain without supplies and died?
What if I left my home unlocked while taking a trip and all my stuff gets stolen? Would you say that it was not my fault?
This nonsense about "blaming the victim" is nothing more than trying to avoid getting blamed for personal stupidity.
Traveling alone , especially in a foreign country has risks. Accept them or stay home. Stop crying about it.
Feminism: want all the benefits but none of the responsibilities that come with being human
Karen
Tuesday 17th of September 2019
Grace didn’t go to Syria, or climb a mountain without supplies. If you associate women travelling on their own as doing stupid things like leaving your house unlocked while you go on holiday you are seriously misguided. You’re telling women to stop crying about it because they’re fed up of getting raped and murdered and then blamed for it. You’ve got a lot of learning to do
VickyFlipFlop
Tuesday 17th of September 2019
Sooo, you're saying if you go travelling alone, expect something bad to happen?
And with all these tediously linked examples, I could also point out the dangers of being in a relationship, of driving a car, of walking on the pavement, of going out in bad weather, of going in water, etc etc – as more people die from those things than of travelling.
I notice you haven't left your email address. A pathetic point you don't have the spine to stand by.
Enjoy your life. I'm enjoying mine.
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