Today, more and more women are working in the Middle East. This includes both expatriates and locals. Women’s participation in the labour force has already doubled in a generation, albeit from low levels in global terms.
World Bank statistics show year-on-year increases of female participation in the labour force in almost all the countries of the region. There are more women than men in higher education in parts of the region, including the Gulf, which is likely to lead to further growth of women at work.
More female executives means more female business travellers.
Most female travellers are aware that their profile places them in an especially vulnerable position. The sad fact is that around the world women are more likely than men to be victims of sexual harassment or even sexual assault. They are also more likely to be victims of petty crime, such as handbag theft — at first glance this can seem relatively trivial but losing the contents of a handbag can leave the traveller incommunicado and without resources and lead to further difficulties.
But perceptions and fears can often cloud reality. As a business traveller myself, this is something I understand well. Places that inspire the most trepidation among the uninformed can actually be among the safest, while parts of cities with good reputations can be ill-advised for women or indeed any visitor.
Countries which are perceived by outsiders to be unfavourable to women can be the most respectful and accommodating. This includes many countries in our own region.
Women, including clients, friends and family, frequently ask me for advice about risks based on high-profile incidents reported in the media. Rare, but deeply troubling, events skew our perceptions — an example of this in action is how infrequent plane crashes overshadow the reality that planes are among the safest modes of transport.
Or they ask about whether women can successfully travel to certain regional countries at all. The most critical advice actually varies by time and location as much as gender. Perfectly safe areas of a city are sometimes near less secure neighbourhoods.
Some routes might be risky after dark. Travellers need information that is detailed, timely, and precisely relevant to them and where they plan to go.
For us, that means assessing the risks of exposure at your destination. We provide detailed advice on specific locations where a traveller plans to visit and recommend measures to help mitigate risks.
It also means being educated before leaving home. We provide specialist security information and education programmes to prepare travellers. In addition to travel safety e-learning that we recommend for all employees, we provide targeted training specific to the female traveller and the unique risks associated with their travel profile.
And it means staying in touch with local developments. In every country, local events can make previously safe areas suddenly unsafe. It might be a demonstration, a strike, a high profile crime, a medical outbreak. With today’s technology there is no reason to be out of touch when travelling, and we always advise travellers to stay closely connected.
Working in the travel security industry, I am passionate about our mission to enable people to do business safely abroad, especially women. Travelling to find or service clients and projects is an important part of how many organisations achieve success.
To my mind, it is vital women are as able to travel as safely and confidently as men. I hope that the number of women business travellers will continue increasing in the region as fast as it has been in recent years.
— The writer advises International SOS and Control Risks clients about travel security across the Middle East.
