Western Women Are Easy

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Lone female travelers are often considered loose and easy.  This especially true in certain male-dominated societies where any unaccompanied woman who walks the streets is considered a prostitute.  For Western women, this categorization is even harder to shake, given the West’s general reputation for licentious behavior and sexual liberation.  Western women are often considered "easy, willing and waiting."  Thus, we generally discourage lone travel (regardless of age or gender).  If you're serious about avoiding unwanted attention, you might consider choosing a male travel companion.     

In some countries, however, having a male chaperon isn’t enough.  Quite recently, a 19-year-old woman in Saudi Arabia was alone with a former boyfriend, when both of them were attacked and raped by 7 men.  This young woman was then “prosecuted” for being alone with another man, and at the time of this writing, she was scheduled to receive 6 months in prison plus 200 lashings for her “indecent” crime. 

Although the above is an extreme situation, it is by no means isolated.  Understanding the landscape is crucial to your safety and security.  Fortunately, Saudi Arabia is not a medical tourism destination.