Hi and welcome if you are new here! Ripe is a newsletter by Pchy. Our mission is to make the world a bit safer for women (cis, trans) and gender minority people. Especially for those of us who like to go alone. 💪

We are adventure seekers, travelers, single women, married, or in relationships, mothers, aunties, (you get the picture) and we value solitude and our independence. We love to romanticize life. And we value our safety and the safety of other women.

We know that creating a safer world for women is a major task. That’s why we need you and we need each other. It’s so important for us gals to stick together.

What’s in the newsletter today?

• Invisible Women and exposing data bias in a world built for men

• 10 safety Apps for Women Adventure Travelers

• More women traveling solo than ever before? We know!

Invisible women in a world built for men

We have been diving into the research by Caroline Criado Perez and her book, Invisible Women: Exposing the Gender Data Gap.

The work that we are doing at Pchy to build a review site/mobile app designed for women’s safety considerations has been pretty mind-blowing when we realize how little information on the internet is catered to women.

Take a trails app for example and dig into the reviews. Even though you may find quite a few reviews written by women, the format of the review process isn’t designed with us or our safety in mind.

Sure, we want to know trail conditions and the weather and if there were pretty wildflowers in bloom. But we also want to know if the trail is super isolated or if the parking area is safe or if it has been experiencing break-ins, what’s the attitude towards women in the area, are there bathrooms? And on and on.

Caroline Criado Perez’s work paints a vivid picture of a world where the experiences of half the population often go unnoticed. In a society built predominantly by and for men, women find themselves navigating challenges that stem from a pervasive gender data gap.

From the subtle biases in technology, to the profound impact on health and well-being, this book brings to light the hidden ways in which women are systematically excluded.

“I first came across the gender data gap in the world of medicine in 2014, when I was writing my first book. I was just so shocked that this was an issue in the 21st century, that doctors were misdiagnosing women because the symptoms of our heart attacks don’t conform to those of men. And that women were more likely to die and more likely to be misdiagnosed.

Around that same time, I also found out that we don’t tend to involve female humans or animals or cells in medical trials, and the result of that is women have less effective treatment and more side effects.

That was just really gobsmacking. So really it was that, and me not being able to get it out of my head. And because I knew it was happening there, I realized it was happening in other places.

The more I found out, the more learned about data gaps in technology, car safety design ... and even data gaps in refugee policy. And so eventually it was just that I had so much information that the only way to cover it was to write a book.”

"Invisible Women" is not just a book; it's a call to action, making a powerful case for change. By revealing the gender data gap, it challenges readers to reevaluate the world around them and recognize the invisible forces that shape women's lives.

Top 10 safety apps for women adventure travelers

When I got the wild idea to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, I also resolved to hike it a la Cheryl Strayed–relying on good old-fashioned paper maps to guide me from Mexico to Canada. That idea lasted for about a week before I gave in to reason and surrendered to tech's inescapable orbit.

Whether you're venturing into the rugged wilderness or wandering the streets of Amsterdam, travel apps can help you safely navigate to your destination, map out your trip, connect with other solo travelers, and book last-minute accommodations, flights, and experiences at the tap of a button.

Read on for a rundown of the must-have travel apps to download before going on your next solo adventure!

CONTINUE READING ON THE PCHY BLOG

Women are traveling solo more than ever before?

“The more I travel solo, the more I don’t want to travel with anyone else. I think some people think I’m being rude when I say this, but truthfully, I want to explore at my own leisure.” Jenn Rice, a forty-year-old solo traveler based out of North Carolina.

This is a cool article in Fast Company that discusses the future of travel and how it is impacted by the growing number of women solo travelers.

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