Why Women Are Embracing Solo Volunteering Abroad (2024)

We have seen a dramatic shift since 1975: women in the UK couldn’t open a bank account or easily get their own passport without their husband’s permission.

Thankfully, times are changing and this is most notable in the rise in female solo travel, with 54% of women expressing plans to travel solo in 2024.

New generations are rejecting the traditional lifestyles and marriage is no longer being prioritised.

Travelling abroad alone is courageous and it is a way to unsubscribe from the patriarchal system because solo travel represents freedom, liberation, and independence – reflecting the new era we have entered.

Living life on our own terms rather than fitting into society or our families’ expectations is so important because some of our best life lessons and experiences come through travelling.

Stepping outside of the traditional ‘norm’ and immersing ourselves in a completely new culture, different from our own, can feel scary. But, no good things come from comfort zones.

Reshaping our beliefs and seeing challenges as opportunities for growth can help us through the inevitable culture shocks we experience when travelling.

The rise in solo travel also reflects this generation’s dedication to self-development. Travelling to a new country alone is a great way to broaden your horizons. It opens your worldview and allows you to develop both internally and externally.

Travel has changed over the generations. And the opportunities our grandparents (or even parents) had were completely different. This trend will continue for future generations too.

The idea that we are a ‘half’ and that we need marriage to ‘complete’ us is an outdated concept. May we continue to be out with the old and in with the new. New traditions of living life on our terms; pursuing passions, adventure, travelling the world and focusing on our development.

Not only are we reinventing ourselves for the generations that came before us, who didn’t have these kinds of opportunities (or their own passport), but we are also changing the world for the generations that come after us through having the option to choose our travel destination and even our own life path.

Finding yourself in another country instead of finding a husband is dismantling the structures in place that have kept women oppressed for centuries.

This is our time to free ourselves and explore because the world is too big to wait around for somebody to go with. Fear holds us back from living an authentic life, so we have to feel the fear and do it anyway.

Being alone does not mean being lonely. Solo travel is the highest form of self-love.

Trusting yourself despite everything society teaches you is brave. Through travelling alone, you have a chance to prove to yourself that all you ever needed was your intuition

The irony of solo travel is that we meet more people than if we were to go with a partner, friends or family. We meet more like-minded people and are open to making new friends and aligned connections. It can sometimes be difficult to make friends in our twenties so travel is a perfect way to do so. When you join an international volunteer programme, there are also a bunch of other students and recent graduates, so you can make friendships for life.

Here at Vocational Impact, ethical volunteering is deeply important to us. Our parent charity Arms Around The Child, focuses on supporting children and families born with HIV & AIDS. The charity projects support women through various initiatives. One of these is Fund A Momproject that helps mothers in need with a universal basic income.

The international volunteer programmes we run at Vocational Impact support these charity projects. For example, our law and human rights programmes in South Africa and medical programmes in Ghana work very closely with mothers and their families to help break the cycle of poverty.

Getting involved with a project abroad is a great way to enjoy the freedom of solo travel, but also get the security and experience working with a charity. You can build on your education with practical skills that make a real impact on developing communities around the world.

If you’re interested in learning more about the programmes and destinations we offer – simply fill out the form below to get started. We’ll send you all the information you need and guide you through every step of the way so you feel confident to head out into the world as a solo traveller and empower yourself!

Planning your international volunteering placement can seem daunting but we’ll be with you every step of the way.

We’re a small charity that picks its partner projects carefully. This means we can tailor our programmes to fit your skills and goals.

The best way to get started is to fill out our enquiry form. We’ll send you all the information you need to plan your very own volunteer placement.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.