What Does It Mean to Be a Woman Today?
It depends on where you live. It depends on where you were born. It depends on your privileges.
Some of us are planning our next trip. Some are thinking about how to feed their families. Some are trying to get out of an unsafe situation. Some are putting themselves through college. Some are helping support their parents. Some are simply trying to stay alive.
Some are on their way to their first solo adventure.
And if you are a woman today planning your next trip or simply reading this, that is a privilege. 💖
Because at this very moment, there are women in parts of the world who are not planning vacations — they are seeking shelter, navigating oppressive systems, fighting for basic rights, or trying to protect themselves and their daughters.
Privilege is not something to feel guilty about. It is something to recognize, be aware of and use responsibly.
Why I Built Greether: A Women's Travel Safety Story
Vanessa Karel, founder of Greether in Chefchauen, Morocco
When I started thinking about creating Greether, my goal was very clear: connect women around the world. 🌎 My dream is now alive, and growing. And you are part of it.
The clarity from my goals came from something very personal.
Years ago, in Casablanca, I experienced a moment that deeply shook me. I remember the feeling in my body, the vulnerability, the fear of not knowing if I was going to be able to make it out of that situation safely. The realization that I was alone in a place where I didn't fully understand the systems, the culture, or who I could trust. It made me aware that there was a gap.
It wasn't about being reckless. It wasn't about being naïve. It was about being a woman navigating a world that is not always built for our safety.
That moment didn't stop me from traveling — in fact it did the opposite. But it changed me and inspired me.
It made me realize how isolating navigating the world can feel for women, even the confident ones. Especially the confident ones.
And that is where Greether was born.
The idea that women should be able to land anywhere in the world and not feel alone. That friendships can exist across borders. That a local woman can welcome you into her culture, her beloved streets, her lived reality.
Not as a tourist. As a guest. As a friend.
Where Solo Female Travelers Are Going Right Now
Greeter Erika and Traveler in Bali, Indonesia
This month alone, women are moving.
From Toronto and San Francisco to Mexico City. From Sacramento, Luxembourg, Columbus, Portland, and London to Singapore. From Indianapolis to Cusco. From the Netherlands to Rome. From Florida and Frankfurt to London. From LA, San Francisco, Panama, and France to Marrakech. From Cincinnati to Helsinki and Stockholm. From Sydney to Seoul. From Seattle to Quito. From Germany to Sri Lanka. From Chicago to the Philippines. From Vancouver to Guatemala. From Finland to Tokyo. From Montreal to Ghana.
Nearly 65,000 women are part of this community now. That number still stops me sometimes.
Because every single one of them found us the same way you did. And some of them — just like you — wondered for a while before they booked their first Greeter.
Then they did. And everything changed.
What Happens When Women Travel Together
Behind each one of these routes is not "a booking."
It is a friendship being formed. It's an adventure across culture.
It's two women who had never met before sitting down and talking about life. Sharing stories about their families. Laughing about cultural differences. Learning what it truly feels like to be a woman in that city.
This morning, I read a review that reminded me why this matters so much.
A traveler described meeting her Greeter in London and said it felt like reconnecting with an old friend rather than meeting someone for the first time.
They explored the city exactly how she had hoped. They talked about life. They shared photos of their families.
And at the end of the evening — the day after Valentine's Day — they were handed flowers at a train station because they were being given away.
She called it magic.
Not because of a monument. Not because of a checklist.
Because of connection.
On International Women's Day: What We're Still Fighting For
While reading We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, I paused at this definition:
"A person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes."
"Gender as it functions today is a grave injustice. We should all be angry. Anger has a long history of bringing about positive change; but, in addition to being angry, I'm also hopeful. Because I believe deeply in the ability of human beings to make and remake themselves for the better."
— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
There is so much to be angry about in the world today. So much to grieve. So much to feel depleted by.
Women are still lost to violence. To sexual assault. To injustice. Simply because they were women.
Every March, I dedicate this letter to the women we have lost.
And I know every single day that it could have been me. My mother. My sister. My best friend. One of our incredible travelers. One of our amazing Greeters.
We cannot eliminate every danger in the world.
But we can build safer bridges inside it.
We can create income for women across the globe. We can make sure a woman doesn't land somewhere unfamiliar and feel completely alone. We can prove that the traits the world often calls "weakness" — empathy, care, softness — are actually our greatest strength.
Our strength is in nurturing. In not giving up. In believing we can create change.
Building a Female Travel Community That Believes in Each Other
Photo from Greether’s International Women’s Day meetup in San Francisco in 2025
To every traveler who books a Greeter — thank you. You are directly impacting a local woman's income. You are strengthening a global network of women who believe in each other.
To our incredible Greeters — you are the magic that creates Greether.
And to every woman reading this, whether you are new here or have been part of this community for years — thank you again.
Thank you for believing that the world is better when we are connected. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for choosing friendship over fear.
Thank you for being a good feminist.
What does it mean to be a woman today?
It means carrying both vulnerability and power. It means grieving and building at the same time. It means refusing to shrink.
It means choosing to empower each other.
And that is unstoppable.
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