Why don’t women travel as much as men do? Why aren’t they bitten by the travel bug?
Constraint overrules interest in most cases.
For young men, it is a fancy to travel the world, to go on long rides (oh – not to forget the Royal Enfields and the Harley Davidsons that are involved). In their case, it is absolutely alright not to have extended curfews with zero complains and lectures. After all, isn’t not going to Goa in college life considered a shame in many circles?
But, why isn’t it the same for girls? My ‘day-trip’ is forced to end at 7 PM, so that I can rush back home before it gets dark. A two-day ‘hangout’ starts with convincing my parents from two weeks – and the probability of receiving their approval is negligible.
Though the primary motive behind all these restrictions is concern about my safety, it has diminished both my time and my enthusiasm.
‘Do whatever you want once you’re married’ is another popular statement that many girls are told every time we want to do something that’s repugnant in the eyes of the society. So, I am supposed to wait 26 years of my life and wed a suitable guy – all in order to step on the road not taken! Additionally, marriage comes with a lot of responsibilities that puts travel further down in my list.
How many of us have actually made the use of the ‘Single Lady’ ticket in busses or trains? It is barely booked for travelling single ladies are barely found. ‘Riding solo’ is a term that has been almost monopolised by sturdy men. Women who can drive or ride often don’t do so because apparently, they are too fragile for the uneven roads. No wonder many men joke about the road sense and skills of women. Moreover, how can you expect to me improve if you constantly denigrate me and laugh at my attempts?
Travelling abroad is often an unrealistic dream for a woman. When travelling from workplace/college to home isn’t safe enough, how is travelling in another country safe enough? Wouldn’t most of us be happy if we were allowed to go on a excursion to the very next state, forget another country. It so seems that our own city is the safest for us and hence we have to avoid travelling as much as we can.
So are we physically weak, or are our vulnerable body parts stopping us from travelling? Hasn’t our acceptance to the complex societal norms kept us safe in a comfortable cage?