The female tour guide challenging gender stereotypes in the Himalayas
Following skills training, Shreya is now following her ambitions and is setting an example for other girls, proving they can move into male-dominated professions.
Shreya preparing for a trek.
When Shreya was 12 years old, she decided she wanted to become a professional tour guide after meeting foreign tourists as they passed through her hometown of Pokhara in Nepal, which is known as a gateway to the Annapurna Circuit, a popular trail in the Himalayas. A friendly person by nature, she enjoyed interacting and helping the visitors whenever she could.
The youngest of 3 children, both Shreya’s parents work hard as cleaners and although they didn’t earn much, always made sure that their children had food, medicine, and their rent was paid. “When my friends ate chocolate, snacks and biscuits and wore nice clothes, I wanted to have those too,” she says but knowing her parents could not afford them, she kept this to herself.
“My parents asked for money from our relatives. Instead, they humiliated them. They harassed them for sending us to school despite the financial crisis,” explains Shreya. “My parent’s words motivated me. They treated us as valuable and never compromised on anything for us.”
After leaving school, Shreya applied to go to Germany to continue her studies but without any German language skills, she did not have the confidence to face the interview. Instead, she decided to look for an opportunity to become a tour guide in Pokhara which was her long-held ambition. “When I was a child, I used to speak with tourists. I’d say hello and always wanted to become guide.”
New opportunities
Shreya heard about a free training course run by a company called 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking. “I think I was meant to become a guide, maybe this was the reason I was not successful in my application to go abroad.”
After applying for the training at 3 Sisters, she was selected to join the course. “Along with the trekking guide training, I was also given English classes and learnt life skills which increased my potential,” Shreya says, adding: “My parents supported me throughout the entire training period.”
Plan International is collaborating with Right4Children to implement a project to promote young women into employment in Pokhara. We work with private sector training organisations such as the 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking company to equip young women with the skills they need to utilise the emerging opportunities in tourism as well as other growing sectors and occupations.
Silence will never help when you face violence. You need to speak out against it.
Following the course, Shreya was employed as an apprentice trekking guide. During her on-the-job training, she accompanied the 3 Sisters trekking group as a porter and was quickly promoted to a guide. She has so far led 2 trekking expeditions to date.
“When I was working as a porter on the Ghandruk trek (Annapurna Base Camp trail), 2 guests reached the destination before us. I rushed with all their belongings to the destination as I did not want them to face any challenges. I was able to give them their baggage before it was dark.”
“The guests were impressed by my helpful nature. They recommended that 3 Sisters promoted me as a guide,” Shreya explains. “I didn’t believe it when 3 Sisters called me and told me that I had been promoted. This was one of my happiest moments.”
As well as the good times, there have also been some bad experiences. Once she forgot the trekking route she was meant to take, but she says her worst experience involved leeches.
“I am afraid of leeches and during one trek, they were all over my foot. I didn’t scream thinking what would my guest do if I did so. Hiding my fear, I also had to remove leeches from my guest’s feet. From this moment, I felt that my work, responsibility, and inner strength had made me mature enough to deal with this kind of issue.”
Smashing stereotypes
Another downside is the taunts by men who mock her for being a female trekking guide. “There is a stereotype in the trekking industry that only men are in this profession. When as a female you jump into the pool, you face negative remarks as well as abuse and harassment.”
“It was not easy in the beginning. But during my training, I learnt about gender-based violence and how we should cope with these situations. Silence will never help when you face violence. You need to speak out against it,” says Shreya.
“Many times, we internalise the violence happening to us. Either that is because of fear of losing your job or reputation. Being a guide, I have faced such threats from my male colleagues as well as the tourists who come for the expedition. Since I have learnt about it during training, I am now confident to address the situation and report it.”
Shreya earns a good income from being a guide. When she received her first wage packet, she bought herself a mobile phone and sent the rest to her parents. Her work was steady until the COVID-19 pandemic which had a huge impact on the tourism industry. Travel restrictions meant there were no flights and overnight, the foreign tourists stopped coming.
For 2 years, nobody came from abroad, however in its place, internal tourism began to blossom and local people started to travel and trek more than before. “I didn’t lose hope and told myself that everything would be normal soon and I could continue my work,” Shreya says.
Plan International’s women’s employment project in Pokhara aims to train 800 young women like Shreya in marketable job skills, life skills, computer knowledge and English language so they can access decent employment within the Pokhara tourism industry.
Now 21, Shreya says her parents are happy and proud of what she is doing. “When I applied for the training, I also encouraged my friends and neighbours to do the same but no one was interested. Now they regret it.”
“Some of my friends doubt me for having a good connection with foreigners. They fear I will go abroad to earn money. I laugh at those accusations. Barking dogs never bite. I am happy with what I do.”
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