Over the last few weeks we’ve heard in the news time and time again about women who have gone missing while travelling, the most recent being Grace Millane. Grace, a 22-year-old graduate, was found dead this week in New Zealand, while travelling. Before that, 36-year-old Carla Stefaniak was dead found in Costa Rica. 

It hasn’t taken long for the old cries of ‘what was a woman doing travelling alone’ came out. While I wasn’t surprised by this reaction, I was saddened – these two women have been killed and yet people are focusing on the fact they wanted to see the world rather than their killers.  

While it’s true that travelling can be risky this isn’t just the case for women – and the belief that it is is where the problem lies. The age old idea that a woman should behave in a certain way rather than those in the wrong taking accountability for their actions. Instead of teaching young women to be scared of travelling – why don’t we teach everyone to look out for each other? Just a thought. 

It’s logical in these situations that people get scared and when people are scared they point fingers. But telling women that by travelling they are putting themselves in danger just isn’t the right step. This could have happened in the women’s hometowns, home countries. 

So, let’s feel the emotions we need to feel. Let’s remember these women and take on this idea that women can’t travel and instead hold those that commited crimes accountable. Travelling didn’t kill those women, murders did.