Outdoor Activities That Support Female Empowerment
By Sunshine Sol
Mar 02, 2023
Ideas for things women can do in the outdoors that support female empowerment
March is a month of rejuvenation, growth, and changing of the seasons. With the beautiful weather and life coming back to the trees, people will flock to the woods after a long winter. It’s also the time to celebrate Women’s History Month. For lots of women, nature is a place to find adventure, solace, growth, and peace. The great outdoors is a space for everyone, but during Women’s Month let’s focus on a few outdoor activities that support female empowerment.
1. Learning Survival Skills
Adventuring in nature is not without its inherent risks. Depending on what you’re doing, there is a long list of things that could potentially go wrong. One of the best ways for women to empower themselves while in nature is to learn the skills to take care of themselves when disaster strikes. Having the skill-set, where-with-all, and tools to handle any problem that is thrown at them while out in the great outdoors is a truly invaluable resource. It’s also the foundation to safely and confidently doing any kind of solo adventuring.
2. Meditation or journaling
Nature is healing and nature can help people clear their minds like nothing else. Journaling and meditation are practices that can help women self-reflect, vent, think, grow, and learn. Sitting in the silence, stillness, and peacefulness of nature is the perfect place for women to complete this important work. The more a woman learns about herself, the more empowered she becomes.
3. Solo hiking
Hiking solo as a woman is not without its risks, in addition to the basic risks of animals, weather, or injury. However, it is not impossible for women to safely go adventuring into the outdoors by themselves. In fact, not needing a hiking buddy can have many benefits such as choosing your own destination, not having to wait until another person is available, setting your own pace, silence while hiking, etc. The freedom to do what you want when you want is incredibly empowering as a woman.
4. Women’s Hiking Groups
If you would prefer some company on your hikes, there are lots of women-only hiking groups throughout the state that offer a safe space for women who don’t feel comfortable hiking alone. These groups offer a community, safe-space, and access to a large database of like-minded women who can go adventuring with you. This will allow you to meet new people, make new friends, hike to cool places, and have a buddy with you who will make the journey feel safer!
5. Group Backpacking Trips
If you have conquered hiking and want to tackle an overnight backpacking trip, joining a group trip is a great way to make that happen. It can be co-ed, female only, family, friends, whatever you’d like! Just the act of completing a trip like that is incredibly impressive and empowering.
Nature is a place for everyone, and March is a time to focus on women in nature and how they can empower themselves and others.