Our female leaders are blazing a trail for women the world over.
We know women lead great adventures – whether they’re driving groups overland through East Africa, taking travellers into the Sahara to camp overnight or keeping spirits high on a hike in the Himalayas.
We’re committed to increasing employment opportunities for women globally. In parts of the world where societal norms mean tourism is mostly male-dominated, like Morocco and India, we’re supporting local women who want a career in the travel industry and have doubled the number of women leading our trips in recent years.
Want to see the world from a female perspective? Our Women’s Expeditions in Nepal, Pakistan, Jordan and beyond celebrate the unique encounters and experiences travellers can access on a woman-led, women-only adventure.
Our action on gender equality
Empowering women across our business
We are committed to increasing employment opportunities for women in the travel industry.
As of 2023, we have 275 female tour leaders and crew, which is 30% of our tour leaders.
Hear from female local leaders
With Intrepid's support, local leaders like Aneeqa, Robina, Nadia and Usha hope to inspire and empower other women to follow in their footsteps and chase their dreams. We’re committed to providing a working environment that encourages people of all ages, physical abilities, cultures, races, religions, sexual orientations and genders to have the same opportunities.
'Women don’t have a lot of choices when it comes to earning an income [in Pakistan]. But we visit local businesses where women make handicrafts from their homes, weave carpets, run cafes. And we’ll always go to the places that are run by locals. I want to make sure that all the money that is spent on these tours goes to the people who need it.' – Aneeqa, Pakistan
'There are less opportunities for women in Nepal, especially in jobs like this. People say women can’t do it, because they’re too weak or have too many problems. But when they see us out on the trail, carrying the bags and working hard, their minds change. That makes me feel so proud of what we’re doing.' – Robina, Nepal
‘Travellers on my tours are very positive about my gender, they give me the motivation to work harder. I give travellers lots of cultural experiences. I show them where young people hang out in cafes, where old people hang out in parks. I encourage them to chat with the locals.’ – Nadia, Iran
‘I love my job because it allows me to use my skills and knowledge to make a positive impact on the tourism world. I am happy to be an Intrepid leader and share south India’s culture and heritage. I also enjoy the challenge of learning new things and the satisfaction of seeing the results of my hard work.’ – Usha, India
How women are changing travel in Nepal
"All women need is opportunity"
Meet the adventurous women – including Intrepid trekking leader Srishti, and porters Robina and Manisha – who are blazing the trail for gender equality in Nepal.
How women are changing travel in East Africa
"They call her Mama Overland"
Meet Becky: East Africa's first female truck driver. As a woman in a traditionally male profession, Becky is breaking gender stereotypes and inspiring the next generation of Kenyan and Tanzanian girls to follow their passion into their dream careers.
Read about our local leaders
Sep 23, 2023
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A relative newcomer, Intrepid leader Huyen Nguyen believes that positivity and...
Jan 09, 2024
Yeah the girls: meet the female...
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Jan 25, 2024
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This trailblazing all-women overland crew in southern Africa is challenging...
Mar 01, 2024
When your day job is leading...
Jenny Waack, Stephi Walker and Ida Olsson share what it's like to lead expeditions...
Dec 20, 2018
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Oct 25, 2022
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Eva Prendergast is a polar scientist, photographer, naturalist and marine mammal...
Jan 16, 2023
Meet Aneeqa, the tour leader forging...
In the last two decades, Pakistan’s tourism industry was completely upended due to...
Mar 28, 2023
“The mountain is hard, and I’m not...
Meet Asifiwe, the trailblazing Intrepid leader who worked her way up the ranks to...
Mar 01, 2019
Meet Becky, East Africa’s first...
Becky turns heads all across East Africa. This is why.
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“A few years ago, my husband was killed. My children grew up and got married...
Feb 23, 2017
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Mar 06, 2018
Women’s Expeditions: How Intrepid is...
To coincide with International Women's Day, we're proud to launch three new women...
May 18, 2017
Meet Sana, the Intrepid leader...
Sana is just one person. One female leader in one male-dominated society. But...
Mar 19, 2018
Meet Nadia, the Intrepid leader who...
Have a chat with Intrepid leader Nadia Badiee and you’ll likely realise how little...
Jun 13, 2018
Meet Naa, the Intrepid leader in...
“I told my husband that the world is changing,” Naa explains over Skype. “In the...
Feb 06, 2019
Meet Sasha, Intrepid’s first...
"I think it makes a positive difference to some travellers having me as their...
Jul 06, 2017
Go with the Flo: Intrepid leader...
What's it like to travel through East Africa on a small group safari? Let's let an...
May 18, 2017
Meet Pravin, the Intrepid Manager...
"I believe things are changing here", reflects Pravin. "It won't be long before 50...
Aug 27, 2018
Meet Eman, the Intrepid leader who...
“99.9% of travellers on my groups are so happy to have me as a female leader,” she...
Dec 14, 2017
Meet Dady, the Intrepid leader...
“The best thing is,” she says, “I think we’re making a difference. As a company....
Jan 29, 2018
Meet Carolina, the Intrepid leader...
"The previous generations were scared all the time. But my generation aren't...
Jun 08, 2017
Meet Channa, the Intrepid leader in...
“The money I saved from working at Intrepid, plus the money my sisters saved from...
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