Plugging the gender gap in adventure travel

Two men in their twenties in their attempt to do something different find themselves plugging what they call is a "gender gap" in adventure travel by organising women-only trips.
"If you have noticed that unlike in many foreign countries, there is a huge gender gap here in women and girls taking solo trips or in all-female groups and going on adventure trips, treks and explorations.
"More importantly, they go as individuals, meet new people, explore new places but come back with a set of new friends. So in a way, it is also about connecting with people through trips," Nitesh Chauhan, one of the founders of "Jugni", a group travel organizing company told PTI here.

Started in February this year, Jugni, which in Hindi means female firefly and symoblises the spirit of life, conducts travels for females-only group taking them to snow-capped mountains in Sikkim to Ladakh to Kibber village in Himachal Pradesh famous for viewing shooting stars among a host of other places.
Rohit Khattar, the other founder, reckons that women going alone on adventure travels is an area that will boom in next 4-5 years and has so far remained unexplored because of safety issues, which are the prime concern of women.
Ratna Jain, a 64-year-old retired school teacher, had recently visited Ladakh and resonated safety as the major concern for travellers.

"The world is not really safe, especially for women and we have known this. Initially, we were sceptical about taking this 'only-women' trip. But this trip of mine to Ladakh where I even walked on the snow was anything but unsafe," Jain said.

"I went on the trip with my 32-year-old married daughter. There were other elderly women too in my group trekking the extremely cold regions in Ladakh," she added.
Jassi, a radio jockey at a popular FM station in Delhi, sums it as the "perfect travel group" for women travellers.
"There are not many women-centric travel groups. Jugni, is run by young professionals so that it doesn't give a guide or event planner's feel, which is good," says Jassi who has thrice been a 'Jugni'.