Female Guides and Porters on Kilimanjaro

Are there female guides and porters on Kilimanjaro?

To keep it short: Yes, there are! While it is still rare to see female guided groups on Kilimanjaro, there are quite a number of female porters on the mountain that are carrying gear and equipment for the hikers for quite some time. One of our most experienced female-porters is working on Kilimanjaro for her 17th year now. The motivation for those women is very versatile and ranges from reasons such as “adding some income” to the family to “fulfilling a dream to work in tourism”. Whatever their motivation is, they are doing an outstanding job on the mountain.

Tanzania Horizon Safaris has established an all-female team led by our main female guide Josephine and her team of experienced female porters in order to promote equal rights and equal payments for women working in tourism in Tanzania.

Special challenges for local women in Tanzania

Women are facing challenges all over the world in terms of being respected for their work by their male colleagues. As a company, we promote equal rights and respectful treatments to all our guides and porters no matter which gender. In Tanzania in particular, old traditions and beliefs are still creating challenges for women to create an income for themselves and their families and not being 100% reliant on a man to support them. We believe that it is absolutely possible to respect traditional beliefs and still give equal chances to males and females. We also want to encourage more young women in Tanzania to create their own future and have more job opportunities on a very professional level.

Benefits for solo female hikers

Even though we can guarantee your safety 100% with all our teams, we understand that as a solo female you might not feel absolutely comfortable as the only woman during your hike. Therefore we have created all-female mountain teams, for your convenience. A huge benefit for solo female hikers is obviously the fact that our female guide will know about the needs for women on the mountain and while hiking. This starts from choosing the right route as well as choosing the right equipment for your hike.

What if I am having my period on the Mountain?

The effects of high altitude can disrupt hormonal cycles, leading to unexpected menstrual cycles. It is advisable to be prepared for such situations by using tampons or maxi pads. Biodegradable bags should be used to store used menstrual products, which should then be disposed of in designated trash bags at campsites. Your guide will know what to do in that situation. We have crated a guideline for women climbing Kilimanjaro to be perfectly prepared for your hike.

Support Tanzanian women in tourism

As stated before, the number of female guides and porters are slowly increasing. If you want to support them you can consider booking an all-female guided climb with us. We are constantly providing professional gear for our teams and your crew will appreciate your decision as they will directly benefit through their salary and tipping which will actively have an impact on their families and local communities.

Find our all female climbs or contact us to create a tailor made all-female hike for your individual travel dates.

All-female Kilimanjaro Climbs