Naomi Wolf

OT: How has travel influenced you?

Naomi Wolf: The most important perception that I have is that the differences between people around the world are minor when compared with the universalities. Women anywhere in the world, whether Chennai or Philadelphia, where I was just two weeks ago, they all want the same thingThe author of the 1991 bestselling book The Beauty Myth, shares her experiences and observations on travelling as a womanthey want to feel safe, respected and cherished, and they desire autonomy.

OT: Have you noticed any differences in the way women travel, as opposed to men?

Naomi Wolf: Well, you might have encountered this yourself but there is a tendency among service providers to ‘accommodate’ and ‘make do’ with women travellers in the belief that women are less likely to complain when the service is found wanting. So more women end up in the middle seat of airliners, they are assigned seats behind crying babies based, I suppose, on the assumption that they’ll ‘understand’, they aren’t offered upgrades with the same eagerness, and they are given smaller rooms. It’s all anecdotal, though — this hasn’t been systemically researched. On the other hand, it’s great to see travel packages getting tailored for women — young mothers, single women and so on — which is a huge market only just being tapped.

OT: Any safe travel tips for women?

Naomi Wolf: How safe a woman feels when she’s travelling is a very country-specific thing. For instance, there are places where she can move about freely and be herself without comment but there are others where she can’t. Before coming to India, I was told: ‘dress modestly, don’t go to the beaches in a swimsuit, don’t go to the fish market by yourself’, but that’s not applicable in many countries, it may not even be applicable in all parts of India, and even more precautionary behaviour may be advised in others. That’s not really discrimination against me; it’s discriminating against all women. It’s the impunity of rape and violence against women that evokes these responses.

OT: What’s the most amazing thing about travelling for you?

Naomi Wolf: I feel so lucky, especially given that I am American, to have travelled to so many places and had a closer look at other societies. Otherwise, I would be living in a bubble with so many distortions in my world view. I am an American and I’m Jewish but in all my travels through the Middle East, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and so forth, I have felt incredibly welcomed and liked. That was a huge revelation for me. It’s the reason why I think I’ll always feel a special connection to them. It was my travels in the Middle East that led me to critique western mores of society and sexuality.

OT: Which is your favourite part of the world?

Naomi Wolf: I would say the Middle East and Asia are very special to me, particularly because, for someone from my demographic, who grew up with demonised interpretations of Iran, Iraq, Pakistan or Afghanistan, it was a way to demystify and understand them, to see their complexities and points of view. We heal ourselves by travelling. Earlier today, in the lobby of the hotel where I am staying, I was admiring a flower arrangement. There was a woman beside me in a full-faced veil. I could only see her eyes. In the western world, the veil is a highly politicised topic, seen as oppressive. She turned to me and she said, ‘Aren’t they beautiful?’ In that moment, she was not mysterious. We were just two women admiring flowers. We are all human. We can see that when we travel.