Femicide Abroad: A Safety Guide for Women Who Travel Solo

“Be careful.” Those are often the last words whispered to women when we set off on a solo journey. They’re meant with love, but beneath them lingers something more sobering: a recognition that the world doesn’t always offer us safety in return for our curiosity.

And now, that quiet warning feels even more urgent.

Just recently, Mexican influencer Valeria Márquez was gunned down in broad daylight—murdered during a livestream as she welcomed followers into her salon in Jalisco. She wasn’t traveling. She wasn’t in a dark alley or a foreign land. She was at work. Still, her death lays bare a truth that’s critical for solo female travelers to understand: Femicide is not just a domestic issue. It is systemic. And it does not stop at the airport.

What Is Femicide and Why It Matters to Travelers

Femicide refers to the intentional killing of a woman because she is a woman. This isn’t a case of wrong-place-wrong-time. This is about power, patriarchy, and impunity. It’s the most brutal expression of a world where women’s lives are often undervalued or reduced to cautionary tales.

Globally, the United Nations estimates that around 45,000 women were killed by intimate partners or family members in 2021 alone. But many more cases go uncounted—particularly when police, politicians, and media fail to categorize gender-based killings accurately. In Latin America, countries like Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras face alarming femicide rates. And while most victims are locals, female travelers are not immune—especially when traveling in regions where misogyny is deeply embedded and law enforcement is unreliable.

When Violence Meets the Road

Travel often feels like liberation—especially for women. It can also expose us to risks we may not fully appreciate until we’re face-to-face with them.

Solo female travelers occupy a unique and often paradoxical space: we’re celebrated for our independence, yet constantly reminded of our vulnerability.

There have been chilling examples:

• In 2019, Carla Stefaniak, a U.S. tourist, was found dead in Costa Rica. She had checked into an Airbnb. The security guard—an employee of the property—was later convicted of her murder.

• In 2023, two female travelers in Turkey narrowly escaped an attack when a ride-share driver veered off their planned route. They live-streamed their ordeal, which may have saved their lives.

• In 2024, several travel forums shared reports of women being followed or harassed in Southern Italy, prompting local officials to issue new safety guidance for solo tourists.

These cases highlight the uncomfortable but critical reality: Travelers can be targeted for their perceived vulnerability—and in some contexts, for their gender alone.

Photo by JESHOOTS com

Femicide in Context: A Look at the Numbers

Let’s put the issue in perspective:

• Mexico reports an average of 10 femicides per day, according to the National Citizen Observatory on Feminicide. Only a fraction lead to convictions.

• El Salvador and Honduras have some of the highest rates of femicide in the world. In Honduras, the rate is 6.2 per 100,000 women, more than five times the global average.

• Even countries like South Africa and India, popular among adventurers and culture seekers, see disproportionately high levels of violence against women.

These aren’t just numbers; they’re signals. They inform how safe a country might be—not just for local women, but for any woman who walks unfamiliar streets alone.

How Female Travelers Can Stay Empowered and Safe

This is not about discouragement. It’s about realism. It’s about equipping women with the tools and knowledge to travel boldly—but smartly.

1. Understand the Local Landscape

Research your destination’s femicide rates, gender equality laws, and social norms around women. Ask: Are there local women’s safety hotlines? What’s the reputation of local police?

2. Use Trusted Transportation and Accommodation

Skip the off-the-grid deals. Book reputable accommodations with security and verified reviews. Use vetted transportation services—never unmarked taxis. Apps like Uber, Bolt, and InDrive often have more accountability.

3. Carry Safety Tools

Here are safety tools that can offer peace of mind—and are available on Amazon:

• SABRE Personal Alarm with LED Light
  Amazon Link
  Emits a loud siren that can alert passersby and disorient attackers. Small enough for keychains or belt loops.

• Addalock Portable Door Lock
  Amazon Link
  Perfect for hotels, hostels, and Airbnbs. Easy to install and adds critical security from inside.

• Vigilant Mini LED Flashlight + Alarm
  Amazon Link
  Combines a flashlight with a high-decibel alarm. Great for night walks.

• Pacsafe Anti-Theft Backpack
  Amazon Link
  With lockable zippers, slash-proof straps, and RFID protection—this is the traveler’s armor.

4. Stay Off the Grid—Digitally

Disable location sharing on public posts. Upload only after you’ve moved to your next destination. Tell someone back home where you’ll be and when you expect to check in.

5. Connect With Local Women

Women know where it’s safe to go, where to avoid, and how to read a room. Join female-focused travel networks like:

• Host a Sister – A global community of women hosting women.

• Solo Female Travelers Club – A private Facebook group with real-time travel advice.

• She’s Birdie – Not just a product line, but a sisterhood with community backing.

Photo by Nicole Geri

What Travel Platforms and Governments Must Do

Safety cannot fall solely on the shoulders of women. Destinations that actively promote tourism must also invest in women’s safety infrastructure. This means:

• Training tourism workers to recognize and respond to gender-based threats.

• Funding women’s shelters and public safety campaigns in high-tourism areas.

• Mandating guest safety protocols for lodging platforms like Airbnb.

• Partnering with female travel influencers and journalists to address safety honestly—not just promote photo ops.

Women are not niche travelers. We are a force—driving nearly 70% of global travel decisions. Respecting that power means respecting our safety.

A Final Word

We cannot bubble-wrap the world. But we also cannot afford to pretend it’s safer than it is. Femicide may not be what you see in every travel guide or influencer reel, but it is real. And for some women, it is the end of the story.

Let’s make it part of the conversation—not to scare female travelers away from the world, but to empower them to walk through it with eyes open and tools in hand.

Because travel is transformative—but only when we arrive home to tell the story.

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