A global survey of business travellers reveals that over seven in 10 women (71%) say they are less safe when travelling for work than men. And, to that end, they are more likely to take measures to protect their safety while away from home, employing such tactics as not going out at night or wearing a wedding ring to ward off unwanted attention.
The survey of 2,000 business travellers in Canada, Australia, the US, and the UK, commissioned by World Travel Protection (WTP), a leading global travel risk management organization, also revealed that the dangers of travelling for women go beyond feelings of safety with over one in 10 women business travellers (12%) having experienced a negative incident, ranging from minor theft to assault, when on the road.
Safety measures
Almost one in three women (31%) say they do not travel or go out on their own at night, compared to 18% of men, and almost half (46%) always stay in close touch with family and friends so their whereabouts are known, compared to 36% of men. To avoid unwanted attention, nearly one in five women (19%) wear a wedding ring (real or fake) as a form of protection.
Safety measures like this are top of mind for travel risk management organizations. “We often undertake specific risk assessments for women business travellers to make sure their safety and security is the highest priority,” said Kate Fitzpatrick, Regional Security Director, EMEA, at World Travel Protection. “At WTP, we educate and train businesses to mitigate exposure to inherent risks associated with travelling abroad.”
Global equality issues
In addition to personal safety, global women’s equality issues are of greater concern to women business travellers than men, with more than one in three women (36%) saying they do not like travelling to countries where women’s rights aren’t protected, compared to only 15% of men.
“This International Women’s Day, it’s important to note that, compared to men, women often have different safety considerations to think about when travelling for work,” said Fitzpatrick. “The risk will generally increase in countries with less equality. It’s essential, therefore, that women have a full understanding of the cultural norms in their destinations from what to wear to how they act – for example, avoiding alcohol in public.”
Sexism in cultural norms
Due to the stigma around women’s health, one in 10 women business travellers (10%) have been unwell with what would be considered a women’s health issue while travelling but felt unable to get help because of the stigma.
As a security director, Kate Fitzpatrick has also dealt with sexism in cultural norms while performing her job.
“Women business travellers may face gender bias in some cultures where it’s not the norm to have women in senior roles,” she said. “I’ve personally experienced sexism and pushback because of my gender. People are surprised to meet a woman Director of Security, and whether it is a police chief in South America or a site risk inspection in West Africa, I regularly have to detail my past work in security and government law enforcement to give me credibility, something my men colleagues never have to do.”
The Opinium online survey was conducted from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2 among respondents who travel for business at least once a year. WTP is part of the Cover-More Group, which in 2017 became part of the Zurich Insurance Group and has command centres in Brisbane, Australia, and Toronto, as well as assistance centres in Shanghai and London.