Intrepid’s Women’s Expeditions are all about breaking down barriers, fostering discussion and creating immersive local experiences for women that are ordinarily off limits on their regular group departures.
They provide local women employment through locally-led experiences, while also supporting women-owned and operated businesses in Intrepid’s supply chain.
Why does Intrepid offer women’s expeditions?
- Break down the cultural barriers of traditional tourism with their range of all-female adventures.
- Their Women’s Expeditions are all about breaking down barriers, fostering discussion and creating immersive local experiences for women that are ordinarily off limits on regular group departures. They provide local women employment through locally-led experiences, while also supporting women-owned and operated businesses in their supply chain.
- Intrepid believe travel is for everyone. But in some countries, there are things mixed-gender groups just can’t do. What if, as a female traveller in Iran, you could head down to the beauty salon with your female leader and get your hair done? The hijab comes off and there’s a real chance to connect. Or you might prefer to learn how to make traditional Indian food at a home-cooking class in Jaipur, a country where in parts women still rarely get the opportunity to work. Relish in powerful moments like heading out on a Morocco tour with M’Goun Valley’s first local female guide.
Intrepid’s Gender Equality Mission
Empowering women across their business
- Intrepid has been a signatory of the UN Global Compact Women’s Empowerment Principles since 2017. They report on their gender progress annually in their integrated report.
- In 2022, Intrepid produced a global pay equity report, which indicated the gender pay gap levels in each location by position grade. They have also introduced flexible working, parental leave and breastfeeding policies.
- In 2017, they set a goal to double the number of female leaders globally by 2020. While this may not be a difficult target in many countries, in traditional societies such as India and Morocco, recruiting women is a much greater challenge. They met their goal of doubling the number of female tour leaders six months early in 2019. As of 2023, Intrepid have 275 female tour leaders and crew, which equates to 30% of our tour leaders.
- They’re not just looking inward. As Intrepid work towards their next B Corp certification, they are making sure they advance gender equality by working with women-owned businesses in their supply chain.
Empowering women on their trips
- In 2018, Intrepid launched Women’s Expeditions – all-female tours led by female guides. These trips are all about breaking down barriers, fostering discussion and creating immersive local experiences for women that are ordinarily off limits on our regular adventures. They include Peru, India, Morocco, and Jordan.
- All Intrepid trips aim to provide women employment opportunities through locally-led experiences – from carpet weaving workshops in Pakistan and Turkey to an artisan jewellery business in Zambia – while also supporting female-owned and operated businesses in their supply chain.
Amplifying women’s voices
- They know representation matters. That’s why Intrepid ensure they feature women’s voices and highlight the many achievements of their female community on their platforms. These actions are guided by our Ethical Marketing Policy – which includes a commitment to working with diverse content creators – and measured with regular reporting.
Empowering women via The Intrepid Foundation
- Intrepid’s approach to gender equality is further deepened in the communities they support through The Intrepid Foundation. A common thread among many of their community partners is their approach to embedding women’s empowerment across their operations – from supporting girls’ education in Morrocco to empowering marginalised women in Nepal.
- They invest in organisations that put gender equality at the core of their operations and understand that the key to creating real, meaningful change requires women’s voices to be heard, as well as their participation and leadership.
