Women of Zafigo

Xyza followed in her mum’s footsteps and became a domestic worker in Hong Kong for almost a decade. In that time, she picked up photography and would share her work online. Here's her story:

It appears that I feel none the wiser when faced with a precarious situation. I asked myself how I would handle things differently based on past experiences. Would I be wiser this time around?

ZafigoX returns bigger and better to inspire and empower even more women through travel.

We had 11 women share their journey of independent travelling, the lessons they learned, the struggles, and more. Mei Mei Chu discussed how social media has changed the way we travel.

Dr Sakia Haque created a community called Travelettes of Bangladesh, a space that encourages women to travel, explore, and see the world with like-minded women.

Have you ever thought you could change the world through travel? Founded on the principle that people can be transformed through experiences abroad, 3PlayGrounds is an online community where people can find like-minded people to join them.

Travelling has always been my passion, but I grew up in a family where I wasn’t allowed to go outside without a male chaperone. I couldn't rid myself of the burning desire to explore Bangladesh. So I concocted a plan.

After a 26-hour bus ride from Córdoba, I arrived at the tail end of the Easter holidays, to a fully booked guesthouse. That was the first and last I saw of guests.

There are two types of people in the world; those who are too lazy to climb up a flight of stairs and those who are willing to travel for 40 hours to explore a different continent. Hermandari Kartowisastro is the latter.

Many of us have heard of the danger that sometimes comes with travelling. We see it in the news; our loved ones remind us to take care of ourselves. But the thing with terror is that it has no specific time or place. Claire McFarlane experienced it first-hand.

Adrienne Lee is a consultant for Tourism Cares who spoke on career opportunities the tourism industry provides for women, the lengths independent organisations go to provide transferrable skills, and benefits for its volunteers.

Himadri Garg and her sister wanted to experience life beyond the patriarchal lens, and they believed their home country of India was the perfect place to start.

As a senior lecturer who’s passionate about tourist and guest behaviour, it came as no surprise that Dr Catheryn Khoo-Lattimore would tackle travel trends and the effect it has on women at ZafigoX 2018.

I took up a month-long Workaway job at a hostel in Punta del Diablo, a tiny fishing village that got touristy after getting a shoutout on the Lonely Planet. I only ventured out once and I went by foot.

These are the recollections of a retired Army Intelligence Officer. Beverly Aishah Roach started as a radio technician and worked towards becoming the first female army intelligence officer in the Canadian Military.

Stories of the girl who hitchhiked from Sweden to Malaysia were all over the internet. But Petrina is more than just that.

Life is too interesting for one type of travel experience. We sometimes envy those who get to travel for work. The idea seems glamourous but what it deprives us of is being adventurous on our own terms.

Anita Yusof described herself as a simple woman who believed the best way to see the world is by bike. Her trainer said, “you are the worst adventure rider I have met in my entire life. Sell your bike.” But did she do as told? No.

“Every child here, I can tell you their story and how far they’ve come,” Melody says with a smile.

Meet Deborah Chan, a woman who packed up and left her life in the city to to help rural communities.

When Amy Blair moved to Kuala Lumpur, she had no idea she would end up having an impact on the lives of women at a low-cost housing project.

Founded by Suzanne Ling, Lee Swee Lin and Lim Yuet Kim the Picha Project is a food catering business with a menu compromising of fresh, home-food cooked by refugee families living in Malaysia.

Why one woman went from investment banker to helping traditional artisans preserve their dying art.