妇女独自旅行的安全问题

Stay Safe But Don’t Stay Home

Zahara Heckscher

Zaraha Heckscher (left) with a Musonda friend in Zambia.

经常警告妇女有关独立国际旅行的警告。不幸的是，确实，女性比男性更有可能成为性骚扰和性侵犯的受害者。在几乎每个国家 /地区，我都从一位和平队志愿者的话语中听到了我从女旅行者和志愿者那里听到的，他们从女性旅行者和志愿者那里听到了。骚扰和攻击范围从口头骚扰到粗略的命题，摸索到摸索（尤其是在公共汽车或火车上的人）到极少数情况下强奸。

Sexual harassment is particularly common in the developing world, but women are also targeted in Western Europe. In addition, female travelers face the other dangers that challenge all trekkers: illness, accidents, and, rarely, political violence. After traveling in numerous countries on five continents, I would hate to suggest that women should stay home. But I do urge female travelers to think carefully about safety issues before leaving home and to take prudent steps to increase safety on the road.

Sensitivity vs. Safety

对于海外女性志愿者来说，挑战之一是，我们可能会过分专注于对文化敏感的敏感，并允许我们的人身安全成为第二个问题。东非的一名美国旅行者允许当地的熟人进入她的酒店房间，因为她不想显得种族主义者，并且在他取得性进展时感到震惊。一名志愿者让她的主人父亲在村庄里走来走去时，将他的胳膊围绕着她，他将其解释为绿灯来建立性关系。遵循您对情况的直觉 - 最好冒犯某人的风险，而不是冒着殴打的风险。

You should know that in many places if a woman invites a man to her home he thinks that she is inviting him to have sex, especially if she is a North American. If you do not want romantic involvement with someone, be sure to avoid compromising situations—situations where it would be difficult to get out if you felt endangered.

Remember that there are various ways to respond to harassment. Responses can range from saying "No," firmly but nicely, to screaming, fighting, or running away. Modify your response according to the situation. In some cultures, a simple "No" is a polite way of saying "Maybe." Some situations may require a more forceful message. Women abroad, as well as at home, are much more likely to be sexually assaulted by men they know than by strangers.

性刻板印象

Baywatch is the most watched television show in history, and European and American porn flicks are seen by audiences around the world. It is not surprising, therefore, that many people overseas think Western women, including women of color, are "loose." This assumption almost inevitably leads to harassment and misunderstanding. When you fight back against harassment you are fighting years of Hollywood imagery as well.

Unfortunately, you will need to modify your behavior to combat these stereotypes and avoid unwanted attention. Most women travelers act more conservatively overseas than they might at home, giving up certain freedoms in exchange for an enhanced sense of safety. In many cultures smoking, barhopping, or simply drinking beer could put you in the "sexually available" category. I advise you to leave your skimpy clothes at home. In rural areas, tank tops or shorts may be considered inappropriate, as are clothes that show cleavage or belly buttons. Several Africans I interviewed urged travelers to dress modestly and explained: "Your American styles are offensive here and set a bad example for our children." Avoid sexual dancing and flirting. Behavior you might consider normal at home may be scandalous or even dangerous overseas.

There are a number of strategies that women have used to avoid harassment. Some women wear a wedding ring to discourage would-be suitors. (In India, a toe ring on your second toe means you’re not available.) Many volunteers learn strategies from local women. In Mexico, for example, women often sit together, even if they don’t know each other.

Other tips, in the words of previous travelers, include:

• "Be careful about letting your guard down while on vacation."

• "Travel with a group at night."

• "Before you leave home, talk to other women who have traveled in the countries you plan to visit."

•“国内计划主任警告我们不要看或盯着男人一次太久；这可能会误解，因为当地村庄中的妇女被教导不要与男人进行眼神交流。”

•“准备放弃您在家中习惯的一些自由。”

• "Females must take care with their dealings with any male older than 14 and younger than 75. I was often misunderstood at first and didn’t realize that plain speaking and looking at a man directly when speaking to him could be misinterpreted as flirting. I learned quickly to be very formal and to always involve several people in any conversation."

• "Don’t be afraid to ask about the security situation where you are posted and find out about any prior incidents that may have occurred in the area."

• "When it comes to your life, you can’t be too cautious."

无论您做什么或不做什么，请记住，如果您遭到袭击，那不是您的错。如果您被强奸或殴打，到达安全的地方，请寻求医疗和情感支持是最重要的。当地警察局可能不是一个安全的地方。朋友，邻近的家庭或医院可能会更安全。如果您作为计划的一部分在海外，您将需要通知您的学校，寄宿家庭或组织的员工以寻求支持。您并不孤单，您应该得到支持。

Illness

性骚扰后，疾病是旅行者最常见的危险。不要喝未室内的水或使用冰。即使在西欧，当地的微生物也可能会对您的系统感到震惊。在您离开家并获得所有必要的照片和处方之前，请访问疾病控制中心和旅行诊所。如果您确实生病了，请访问大使馆推荐的医生。

Common Crime

街头犯罪是一个越来越多的问题。我遇到了一个女人，她的金链在她到达内罗毕公交车站仅五分钟后就从脖子上撕下来。道德：天黑后不要到达一个陌生的小镇。当我晚上在非洲和拉丁美洲的城市地区外出时，我尝试与一群朋友（本地或国际）一起旅行。我还发现，当地的公交车司机和乘客通常可以提供有关某些地区相对安全或危险的提示。将您的大部分钱放在金钱腰带上，但如果您被拘留，总是有足够的手机给小偷。

Accidents

汽车和巴士事故是海外旅行者的主要杀手。请记住，汽车可能会在道路的“错误”一侧行驶，交通信号可能被忽略，即使某些人行道也可能不安全。在蜿蜒的道路上旅行中，尝试在白天旅行，并知道头等舱公共汽车可能比三等班更安全。如果您乘轮渡旅行，请知道救生员在哪里。游泳时谨慎行事。我的一个好朋友在春假期间在墨西哥的一个无辜海滩上游泳。承诺使她在下面吮吸，把她拖到海里。她被冲浪者救出并复活，但冲浪者无法营救我朋友的旅行伙伴。不要让这种情况发生在您身上。仅与其他游泳者一起在标记良好的海滩上游泳，并在可能改变潮流的雨水之后谨慎。

政治暴力和恐怖主义

Compared to sexual harassment, crime, and illness,政治恐怖主义是罕见的。American citizens are much more likely to get hit by lightening than to die of overseas terrorist attacks。Still, some choose to protect themselves by sewing a Canadian flag to their luggage and by closely following State Department warnings, which usually err on the side of caution.

对于旅行者来说，危及生命的危险是罕见的。不要让恐惧阻止您出国，不要让恐惧破坏您的旅行。放聪明点。做好准备。保持安全，但不要呆在家里。

ZAHARA HECKSCHERis the co-author of the book How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas, which includes evaluations of over 80 volunteer programs and suggestions for preparing to volunteer. Zahara co-authored a follow-up book which is an instant immediate classic titled "学习服务：国外志愿服务的基本指南。”