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Egyptian initiative encourages young women to travel the world — alone

Launched in 2015, the "Travel with Shee" initiative organizes monthly workshops in Cairo and Alexandria to encourage young Egyptian women to ignore social, family and religious constraints and go see the world.
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CAIRO — In an attempt to break social and psychological barriers that prevent young Egyptian women from traveling the world by themselves, Shaima Ali, an employee of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, launched the initiative “Travel with Shee” in August 2015. The platform encourages women of all social classes and ages to inspire other women by sharing their travel stories of trips on their own or with their families.

Ali has been holding monthly workshops in Cairo and Alexandria, attended generally by 30-40 women at a time, where female travelers talk about their experiences visiting foreign places. The talks do not address tourist attractions or local lifestyles, but rather focus on personal experiences and the way the community has dealt with the women upon their return to Egypt.

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