How Asia’s female tour guides are breaking gender barriers
- From Cambodia to Nepal to Vietnam, women are taking on a previously male-dominated career
- They feel empowered and independent, but say there are still prejudices to overcome
Thirty-three-year-old Chana Uy was one of Cambodia’s first female tour guides and has led groups across the kingdom and through Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. She has worked as a guide for over a decade, and has had to overcome numerous obstacles.
“There are still a lot of challenges being a female,” she says. She cites difficulties working with males in the industry, such as drivers, who struggle to take orders from females. She has also had male peers ask to share a room with her while she was leading a tour, and has been called “loose” because of her job.
Uy is one of a slowly growing army of female tour guides who are breaking down gender barriers in an industry traditionally dominated by men.
“I had a lot of issues with my family,” she recalls. “My mum was worried about me going around alone as a single female because in Cambodian culture it’s not the norm; women are taught to be submissive and stay at home.”
