ChickSpeak

By Susan Gass

TransitionsAbroad

As a 20-year-old college student preparing myself for a year abroad in the South of France, I thought that I had everything I would possibly need.

My bags were methodically packed and I thoroughly prepared myself according to the counsel of friends and family.

But one vital component that no one had advised me about, something I could never fit into my suitcase, was what life would be like as a woman living in Europe.”

These could have been my words almost 15 years ago before I went to off to study abroad, also in the South of France. I was totally unprepared for being harassed, followed, propositioned, and even touched. Being a woman had a tremendous impact on my experience abroad. Although I matured and became more assertive and self-reliant, I nevertheless wish that I had had some kind of preparation and an opportunity to discuss my feelings during and after the program.

I do not want to scare women away from going abroad but rather to help them be knowledgeable, prepared, and safe. Traveling alone provides insights into the foreign culture that cannot be gained when traveling with a companion. It is a confidence builder and gives the traveler the freedom to plan what she really wants to do and see. It promotes language learning and creates opportunities to meet more people from the host country and other travelers. Women should have, and do have, the opportunity to experience this. In fact, in some cultures, being a woman may actually be advantageous. A woman might have access to women’s society and friendship—something denied to men in Islamic cultures, for example.

Preparation and Support

I believe that women going abroad (especially for the first time) need three things: good preparation before going, a forum for discussing their feelings while abroad, and a way to process their experience upon reentry. The initial preparation is vital, as women who do not have coping skills for dealing with harassment may put up emotional barriers, which can result in difficulty accepting the culture and integrating into it.

The most effective preparation involves using returned students, Hearing from their peers what it is really like cuts the “I can take care of myself” attitude. Returnees can and should attend any orientation session for women that you plan. Talking about their fears and expectations is a good way to get the discussion going. Students then feel free to ask about all kinds of issues-such as women’s health, dating, or the availability of tampons. Women student advisers in your office should be trained and encouraged to talk to with the women who are contemplating going abroad. Another resource that you can make available is written accounts. I have a notebook of one-page personal descriptions of what it was like to be a woman abroad. I encourage every woman who comes in to write something in this notebook.

Giving these recently returned women a chance to be mentors and openly discuss their personal experiences in a meaningful way, to help others have a positive experience, is an important part of their own reentry. I have been repeatedly thanked by students for having provided them the opportunity to talk about their time abroad. Make sure that any evaluations you want filled out include specific questions for women. You may be surprised at what comes out.

Supporting women going abroad is more difficult. On-site support is not always available. When it is, it should include a woman native to the country as a resource (preferably someone close to college age) as well as some group meeting so that the women can compare notes. If the students are living with families these host families should be given some kind of direction or orientation with respect to cross-cultural women’s issues. Women’s centers exist in many countries and are listed in some guidebooks, including Rough Guide’s More Women Travel. When on-site support is unavailable women should be encouraged to keep a journal. Simply expressing yourself in writing can be enormously cathartic.

For the full article, go to TravelAbroad.com