When Women Work

Conspicuous by their presence at airport lounges are more and more laptop toting women off on a business trip. Usually all by themselves. When it comes to deciding who should travel, the gender divide at companies seems to be nothing more than a blurred line now. What are beyond dispute, however, are the unique set of challenges, especially security concerns, faced by women travelling on business.

Not that any of these are a deterrent, but being safe rather than sorry seems to be the mantra for these women.

Well informed is well prepared
“There have been learnings about travelling alone over time, but I know how to be well prepared for even new places now. I do my homework about a place I am visiting in advance to avoid any surprises. I would research my hotel well, how to get to the hotel from the airport, the weather, customs regulations and other important things. When you go for structured meetings and conferences, such information usually comes as part of the delegate pack,” says Satyavati Berera, Executive Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers India.

Adds Smita Yograj, heading corporate communications at Tecnova India, “I plan my business tour extensively before traveling. My mantra is ‘plan your trip beforehand for a safe journey’.”

Being safe on arrival
Without exception, everyone wants to avoid late night arrivals into any city given an option. “While I don’t feel insecure when travelling, but I must say I don’t feel very comfortable either. I always like to land at a decent time; companies can do a lot in ensuring all travel is scheduled at convenient times,” says Saroj Sridhar, CEO, Feedback Business Consulting.

Recounting an experience that taught her some lessons for the future, Mani Lamba, Account Director at Adfactors Public Relations says, “I had a harrowing experience when my train reached at two in the night in a city I had never been to before. Thankfully there was someone I knew locally who I could call to pick me up. Since then I make it a point not to land in unfamiliar territory when darkness is falling; scheduling a morning or afternoon arrival can be safe even if there is a delay of a few hours.”

Settling into the hotel
Even when women stay in quality, well located hotels, they may not always feel comfortable being alone. “In hotels, it is not the insecurity so much as the silence that gets you; one tends to switch on the TV to make it less lonely,” says Ms. Sridhar. “I keep all doors locked, and retire to bed early,” adds Swati Piramal, director, Nicholas Piramal India.

Keeping these and other concerns in mind, hotel chains like the Marriot, Hilton and ITC Welcomgroup have introduced women only floors. “Some of the properties have special floors only for women where even the housekeeping and room service staff are women. Sometimes the hotel leaves behind little gifts in the room to make women feel special; the soft touches do a great deal in making you feel safe,” says Khushnooma Kapadia, director marketing and communications, Marriott Group of Hotels, India.

What about the men?
Avoiding the unwanted and undesirable attention of men weighs top most on the minds of women travelling alone. “Propositioning by men when they see you alone happens lots of time. Lewd remarks and gestures are never far away,” says Ms. Lamba.

According to Vidhya Srinivasan, COO at Integrated Brand-comm, “Men are always inquisitive, especially older men, but most of them are nice. If you carry yourself confidently and behave businesslike, nobody dare misbehave. There are times I have made good friends of co-passengers on flights. Only once did I have a strange experience of being followed to a hotel, which was attended to by the security.”

“Travelling is a mixed bag of experiences. One just needs to present oneself with confidence and carry yourself well while out alone all by yourself. Men do differentiate and understand your personality and it is on us how we portray ourselves. But one could have a bad experience if not careful,” add Sapna Aggarwal, director HR, GlobalLogic.

Staying Secure
Experience and advice from colleagues go a long way in ensuring women play it safe when going about town. “I have heard cases of muggings during late hours in Washington DC on a roundabout I end up passing by when walking back to my hotel from the office; I thus avoid being out late. It helps that my hotel is close to my office,” says Minakshi Seth, heading communications for the South Asia region for the International Finance Corporation. Being out late night all by themselves is definitely a no-no for most women. “If there is no choice but to be out late, I ensure I am escorted by one of our staff or a trustworthy driver,” says Bhavna Sood, Chief Corporate Communications at Dharampal Satyapal Group.

“I avoid interacting with strangers, prefer carrying travellers cheques, don’t wear heavy jewelry, keep a set of extra batteries, make sure the cellphones are fully charged and keep some money in an outside pocket to avoid fumbling through my bag for tips and other expenses. I stick to  crowds to be inconspicuous, and usually stand in a group while waiting for a cab or the subway,” says Tecnova’s Ms. Yograj.

Agrees Ms. Srinivasan when she says, “The right body language is very important; one should not call for unnecessary attention and expose oneself more than necessary. Our company’s administration department always knows the car number and driver name we are using, and intimates us too; in most cases they also dictate the route to be taken to avoid use of deserted roads.”

“My wits are always sharp when I am alone, and guard my cash and passport like my life. I only move out in hotel cars in places considered unsafe. But this is true only for the evenings; I am quite comfortable exploring places all by myself during the day,” says Marriot’s Ms. Kapadia.

Pubbing and Dining
“A negative of travelling alone is one is confined to having dinner in the room only,” says Ms. Piramal. True for many women who avoid going out to have meals and drinks all by themselves except at coffee shops and speciality restaurants sometimes; they feel being alone in a bar immediately could expose you to being propositioned by strangers. Of course, with friends or colleagues anything goes.

“I do go to a restaurant, or even a pub, by myself, but I don’t venture out of the hotel I am staying in. I enjoy sitting in a non-smoking corner observing people, how they dress, what they talk, how they behave. It is as good as reading a book and the experience can range from entertaining to enriching and insightful. I even take a book to read while dining,” says Brand-comm’s Ms. Srinivasan.

Sounds like you can play it safe, but one can never be too sure.