Women travellers

Depending on the destination, women travellers could face additional obstacles or added risks when travelling outside Canada, particularly if they are travelling alone. Awareness and preparation may help your clients avoid potentially dangerous situations. Knowing the risks could also help your clients make informed decisions about where they travel.

Some examples of risks and obstacles include:

  • strict dress codes, such as the requirements to wear head coverings and clothes that cover the arms and legs
  • incidents of sexual aggression, including at beach resorts
  • inappropriate remarks, catcalls and touching
  • strict laws on extramarital sex
  • possible inadequate responses by local authorities to reports of sexual violence and harassment
  • if pregnant, an increased risk of getting an infection and/or developing severe complications from certain infections, which could also affect the fetus

When women are planning to travel, extra consideration should be given to choosing your client’s accommodation and public transportation, as well as the decision to go out alone, especially at night. As with all travellers, women travellers should be encouraged to visit a travel health clinic or speak to their health care provider about their travel plans, preferably 6 weeks before leaving Canada. Even if time is short, an appointment is still worthwhile.

Be alert to your client's travel intentions as you can help protect them from scams. As is the case with overseas fraud, relationship scams are increasingly common.

On our Overseas fraud: an increasing threat to the safety of Canadians page, your clients can find tips and details of known scams, such as:

  • online marriage schemes
  • online friendship and romance scams
  • too-good-to-be-true job offers

Help prepare your clients and guide them on international travel by visiting our Travel Advice and Advisories for your client’s destination. In the “Safety and security” section you can find key information on women’s safety.

Also, check out our advice for women travellers on travel.gc.ca.

Help SofiaHelp Sofia!

9 - Sofia’s parents are glad that her girlfriend will be joining her for part of the trip. Still, you express that there are some concerns for women travellers in some countries and you advise them that it’s important to stay vigilant and aware, even if they feel safer travelling together. You have looked up the situation in Peru and let them know that incidents of sexual assault occur throughout the country and in some cases, __________ have been implicated.

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