Meet our female local leaders

Diversity and inclusion has always been at the forefront of everything we do. Intrepid Travel has 1,600 staff from 68 nationalities based in 27 offices all over the world. We know that our strength comes through our differences and the freedom for everyone to be themselves – locals, leaders, and travellers. Around 65% of Intrepid Group travellers are female, and 60% of global staff are women, but most of our female staff work in our offices – in fact only 21% of our leaders are female. This is something we are working to change.

Our plan for gender equality

Our goal is 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 recruiting women is a much greater challenge. Last year there were just three female leaders in India, today there are 11 (out of 67 guides). There’s still a long way to go, but we’re making encouraging progress in promoting women’s independence and boosting women’s employment.

With the support of Intrepid Travel, our local leaders like Nadia, Sana and Pilar 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.

Nadia is one of Intrepid's local leaders in India.

‘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

Sana is one of Intrepid's local leaders in India

‘One thing I love about my job is that I meet so many people. There are so many stories to share. I am still in India but exploring so many things. Of course we go to the famous places, but I also take travellers to the authentic places that don’t have tourists. In Goa we go to specific local shacks run by families. In Mumbai I take food trips and say “just follow me”. If time permits, I take them home to my mum’s house.’ – Sana, India

Pilar is one of Intrepid's local leaders in Mexico.

'I love to tell travellers everything about the local life here, social and political issues as well food. For me, that's the one and only way to understand the country better. That's what a real experience means, right? I'm more than a guide. I am the friend hanging out with them, showing them my culture, my people and my daily life.' – Pilar, Mexico

How we changed travel in India

Our team in India have been particularly proactive in trying to improve the gender balance of their leaders. By specifically advertising for female applicants, creating targeted Instagram and Facebook campaigns, putting up posters in beauticians and cafes, and asking staff to approach female friends, for the first time ever we have achieved a 50/50 gender split of new leaders in India. We now have a passionate group of 11 female leaders who are ready to pave the way towards gender equality in Indian tourism.