Celebrating International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is a worldwide celebration of women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. The day also serves as a campaign for greater gender equality. Here at One Life Adventures, we are celebrating by giving you some of our favourite organisations that we support to aid women throughout the world, and how you can help!

Sea Sisters – Sri Lanka

Local women are rarely seen in the ocean in Sri Lanka. Despite growing up on an island, most women have never learned to swim and, as a result, are afraid of the water. This is because old gender norms and cultural expectations have prevented the ocean from becoming a “safe space” for women. Women are generally expected to stay at home and care for their children, excluding them from the recreational and economic prospects of surf tourism, particularly in rural areas.

At Sea Sisters, they believe that the ocean belongs to everyone and that swimming and surfing may be effective social agents of change. In August 2018, two women were inspired by the influence that swimming and surfing had on the lives of the women in Arugam Bay, and they relocated to the South Coast to allow even more local women to benefit from these activities.

They also host conversations and special courses on topics such as maritime safety, environmental awareness, and women’s health, using bilingual instructional materials (in Sinhalese and English) and with the use of guest speakers and collaborations with like-minded organisations to facilitate these activities.

Women With Wheels – India

The Women With Wheels initiative trains low-income women to become professional drivers, allowing them to earn profitable livelihoods with dignity. The program also raises their awareness of their rights and empowers them to become self-sufficient, self-assured individuals in control of their life.

The Women With Wheels program began in Delhi in 2008. It has since grown to include Jaipur, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Bangalore, and Indore. To date, the program has helped over 1000 women gain the training and ability to have meaningful jobs as drivers throughout India. By preparing and placing women as professional drivers, the Women With Wheels programme enables socially excluded female members of the society to move from the sidelines to the mainstream economy.

If you join our India tour, don’t be surprised when you’re greeted with a female driver in a country and industry primarily dominated by men. You can find more information on the organisation here.

Arugam Bay Girls Surf Club – Sri Lanka

The Arugam Bay Girls Surf Club (ABGSC), founded in 2018, is Sri Lanka’s first all-female surf club. The club’s goal is to get more Sri Lankan women on the waves in order to empower women via surfing.

They offer lessons to Sri Lankan women and girls of all ages. Using their own methodology, they teach women in a fun, playful, and safe environment, assisting each girl in overcoming fear, building confidence, and dramatically improving her swimming and surfing skills.

Local School Visits – Philippines 

When we initially began visiting our first school, which was located in a rural area just outside of Port Barton, Philippines. We were given the incredible opportunity not only to deliver school supplies and playground equipment, but also to personally contribute and support them. In the years since, as we’ve increased the number of school visits we offer, we’ve expanded to four different schools in this Filipino province’s isolated island areas. Since our expansion into Sri Lanka and Indonesia, our local guides have been crucial in coordinating school visits in these areas so that we may do the same here.

We’ve taught English with fresh new games and songs, delivered much needed school supplies, and brought playing equipment like basketballs and skipping ropes, but perhaps most importantly, we provide a unique opportunity to donate funds directly to a community that needs it. Your tourism may transform someone’s life, so select wisely where you spend your money when you travel.

At One Life Adventures, we believe that the strength and prosperity of the world comes from empowering women. Not only do we support the community groups mentioned above, but we also are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or gender. We also empower women to travel in a safe, sustainable and transformational way. Over 70% of the guests that join our tours are women, and we believe that showing them amazing destinations will only make everyone a better person in the end. To find out more, visit our website here.