Staying safe: advice for female travelers

As another Indian politician lands himself in hot water over shortsighted remarks about bikinis and sexual molestation, Dr Brooke Magnanti shares some of her top tips for women staying safe while traveling.

With news that Goa's Public Works Minister, Sudhin Dhavalikar, has suggested the bikini be banned from public beaches in the state, an idyllic tourist destination that attracted half a million foreign visitors last year, what's a woman on vacation to do? "Wearing bikinis can attract problems like molestations," he said. "I feel that wearing bikinis should be banned on the beaches. We should not allow such types of people (in bikinis) to enter public places."

Dhavalikar's not the only one to stick his foot in it. Goa's Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar of the BJP political party, was widely criticized for comments that he claimed were "anecdotal and made on a lighter note".

"When an industrialist wants permission (to start an enterprise) he has to face 16 (license) inspectors; but a rape victim has to face only one (police) inspector," he told a group of entrepreneurs. It all contributes to a view that in India, while public awareness has risen, there are still many public officials who trivialize the problem.

What is the takeaway for visitors, though?

Shaming beachgoers is ridiculous - on a hot beach, what could possibly be more appropriate than a swimsuit? Yet it also bears keeping in mind that once off the beach, different standards may apply when you're traveling. Harassment and attacks are entirely the responsibility of the attackers themselves. But as a woman who often travels alone, I can see the need to at least try to blend in and not attract more minor hassle.

Last year, the US travel advisories warned women not to travel alone in India. But millions do every year with no major problems. US travel advisories, as well, err heavily on the side of panic - half my family once canceled a holiday because apparently meeting me in Rome was a 'risk'! And as a colleague has pointed out: "Crime can happen anywhere that a woman - or man - is alone. Predators seek out the most vulnerable, wherever you are."

How to blend in on holiday

So while we may enjoy a measure of equality at home, what can we do when traveling? The main issue is preparedness. Look out for what local women do, and to some extent emulate that.

Where I grew up in Florida, seeing women walk around in bikinis all day was so usual that many shops and restaurants have to constantly remind people (natives and visitors alike) to put clothes on when they move indoors. Hence the famous signs stating 'no shirt, no shoes, no service' everywhere you go. But even then it's a casual vibe. Flip-flops are considered shoes, unless you're driving.

The deceptively casual atmosphere of a place like Florida where everything seems familiar has led to tragedy. Just because a place contains an amusement park doesn't make the whole state an amusement park. Consider for instance the case of Aundra Akins, who shot and killed British tourist Gary Colley in 1993. Murder is obviously the fault of the murderer: yet we locals couldn't help but shake our heads that Colley and his partner had elected to spend the night in their hire car in an unguarded rest stop, when there were plenty of cheap motels within easy distance.

Elsewhere we should remember that while we may be on vacation in a tropical paradise, the people who live there probably are not. Respect is key. Being familiar with local norms is useful for travelers, and this includes women traveling alone who may not want to attract unwanted street harassment. Unfortunately, the cultural and linguistic differences abroad are a significant barrier to schooling men on the street about how not to wolf whistle at women.

Take note of local customs, any significant holidays, and have a loose covering dress to hand (especially useful for moving from, say, Sicily's sunny beaches to the cool refuge of an old church). I have one midi-length dress in purple jersey with sleeves that appears in practically all my holiday snaps, so useful is it for dressing up and down. And, miracle of miracles, it manages to survive most travel without wrinkles too. As reviled as that 1990s staple the pashmina now may be, you can't beat it for easy day-to-night, beach-to-town cover-up. Big silk scarves that serve the same purpose ... again, they may look dated at home but who cares when you're on your vacation?

Male companions

That said, making the necessary adjustments may be easier than you assume. A friend (who wished to remain nameless) who has traveled solo all over the world - including Syria in recent years - had this to say: "Just ditch the daisy dukes and tank tops, and you'll be fine in most places. And some mosques, such as the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, actually have cloaks for foreigners to wear inside that cover you to your toes."

She added that since she married, her travel arrangements have changed, but being in the company of a man was no guarantee of safety. "The only time I have ever been a victim of any sort of sexual crime was when I was in Ghana. While my husband and I were waiting to cross a road, a local man reached out and grabbed my boob and gave it a good squeeze," she said. "Being in the protection of a man isn't a surefire way to avoid grabby hands. Sometimes you can lay nearly naked on a beach with your eyes closed and nothing happens, other times, you're dressed conservatively with a husband and someone wants grope you."

The key, she says, seems to be combining cultural respect with good old fashioned street smarts. Being on holiday is a wonderful opportunity to let all your normal responsibilities fade into the background. Don't also let that mean you take risks you wouldn't accept at home. If you wouldn't feel comfortable in your own city or town on an unfamiliar street at night with a dead cellphone, certainly don't do it elsewhere. And above all, know the local emergency numbers, and take the same care you would back home. If that means more taxi journeys, well, you can console yourself that you are contributing positively to the local economy.