Amina K, a 36-year-old spinster from Malappuram, is often reminded that she lives in a male-dominated society where a service dedicated to women is not always appreciated.
For, there has been no dearth of voyeuristic calls from men since she launched her women’s only travel group, My Travel Mate, four years ago. Notwithstanding that occupational hazard, Ms. Amina remains a dependable travel mate for countless women who despite being passionate about travelling had been forced to put off their plans either out of fear of travelling alone or overwhelmed by the organising part.
Ms. Amina has so far arranged 50-odd trips within the country and abroad with an average of two trips a month. Having always loved travelling, she chose to turn it into a profession realising that being a school dropout left her with very little job options. She never rued the decision as the number of women approaching her steadily increased, thanks to the strong social media campaigns and word-of-mouth publicity.
“There have been regulars some of whom have been part of up to seven trips. Though designed mostly for middle-aged women, others are also now approaching me even with their kids,” said Ms. Amina.
Retirees, a 78-year-old lady being her oldest client till date, and women living alone away from husbands owing to work compulsions are among the sections availing of her service. There have been instances in which women who desire to be part of trips request her to convince their families, leaving her with sour taste in her mouth, though rarely.
Even the COVID-19 did not dampen her spirit, as Ms. Amina arranged a trip of eight to Kashmir shortly after the first lockdown was lifted in 2020. Incidentally, Kashmir remains the most preferred destination with another trip scheduled next month coinciding with the tulip season. Ms. Amina has also organised trips to Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai, and Thailand.
Settled in Kochi for more than a decade, her mother and brothers back home had little clue about her work and were under the impression that she was into event management. “They came to know about my travel initiative only after I was featured by sections of media but have been very supportive,” Ms. Amina said.
