6 REASONS WHY ALL-WOMEN OUTDOOR SPACES MATTER

Women are the center of AdventurUs Women escapes. All of our guides and participants are women who commit to fostering a community where risk-taking and growth are treated with compassion. Here are 6 reasons why all-women outdoor spaces are important.

SHARED EXPERIENCES BREAK DOWN BARRIERS

Intersectionality, a theory coined by critical race scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, describes the way in which multiple forms of oppression impound upon people depending on their identity. We all have unique experiences navigating the world, but our shared experiences as women break down a major barrier when we connect. 

THEY ALLOW US TO BE THE MOST AUTHENTIC VERSION OF OURSELVES

When we are surrounded by other women, we feel less of an urge to defend ourselves or justify our place in the outdoors. We can sometimes find ourselves feeling prickly in co-ed outdoor settings, maybe having to prove ourselves as strong or worthy of taking up space. We complicate our yearning to grow with this external pressure. In all-women outdoor spaces, we are welcome to take risks without repercussion. Struggle is without shame.

WE CAN SEE OURSELVES IN OTHER WOMEN

Watching other women get out of their comfort zones and take risks encourages us to do the same. When we witness women like us recognizing their own strength, we begin to recognize our own.

THEY FACILITATE RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING

Women seeking outdoor spaces for women are often also in search of community. These opt-in spaces offer chances to forge connections based both on shared history and lifelong memories made together. We all need support networks, both in our outdoor adventures and in our everyday lives. The strongest connections are those we make with women who have shared experiences in both settings.

Selfie time with new friends made at the AdventurUs Women 2019 Escape to Bend, OR.

ALL-WOMEN OUTDOOR SPACES ARE AN ACT OF RESISTANCE

Strong communities yield strong individuals. When we join together to feel collective joy and growth, we oppose those structures of oppressions that rely on our disempowerment. 

THEY ESTABLISH A LEGACY FOR ALL WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS

Participating in these all-women outdoor spaces ensures they happen again. And again. And again! With every all-women space in the outdoors, we make space for other women to get into the outdoors, too.