OUR ETHOS
WOH is run by women for women, and all women are welcome. Holidays are offered where women can come alone or with a friend and gain safe access to the outdoors in the company of other women. We aim to foster well-being, confidence, and a feeling of inclusion and safety by encouraging cooperation and respect for others over competition. We also aim for the holidays to be fun!
Inclusion, Equality and Diversity Policy
WOH aims to be inclusive in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and not to discriminate on grounds as detailed in that legislation, insofar as we provide a service only to women.
Discrimination, bullying or harassment will not be tolerated. The intent is on promoting a culture of inclusion and respect for each other within a supportive environment.
There a strong commitment to inclusivity, providing a gateway to a variety of holidays accessible to women of differing ages and abilities. WOH are focused on physical activities such as walking, swimming, cycling, and skiing. Where the company or individual guide with whom you book can make reasonable adjustments, they will endeavour to do so in order to make services as widely accessible as possible.
WOH guides have had many years of experience of how to make our groups work for everyone. For example, we try to make sure that the slowest is not left behind and the shyest is included in the conversation. We work to foster group cohesion and shared responsibility, to enable the sharing of skills and experience, and hope that though you may come together as strangers you will go home as a group of friends.
Confidentiality
WOH undertakes to maintain customer confidentiality within the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018. Records of customers will be held securely on the customer databases of the company or individual guide with whom you book. Personal information will not be disclosed to third parties without an individual's prior agreement - other than in exceptional circumstances such as a medical emergency.
Qualifications
Between us WOH guides have been guiding women-only holidays for many years and have a wealth of knowledge and experience of navigation, risk assessment and group management. All guides have appropriate First Aid qualifications. Individual guides will only guide activities for which they are suitably qualified, competent, and experienced.
Safety
The safety of clients, both physically and emotionally, and also in terms of privacy and confidentiality are a priority. Holidays will only be offered which are inside the parameters of the guides qualification, or the legal requirements of the country they are operating in.
All locations, including countries and accommodation are subject to dynamic risk assessments, and the nature of the terrain, and the level of the activity on offer is clarified to the clients. Maintaining a healthy, open dialogue regarding each individual’s comfort zones and choices is essential to the safety of both the individual and the group. Essential to this is creating a non-competitive and supportive atmosphere, where no woman should feel under pressure from either a guide, or their group, and ensuring that each individual is clear about the level of challenge involved in a planned holiday, and, where appropriate, is advised on fitness preparation, to ensure a successful and positive outcome.
If a situation arises where a group member is likely to seriously hinder the group’s progress, the aim is to handle the situation with the utmost discretion and sensitivity, enabling, wherever possible, a positive outcome and continued participation for that individual, and inclusion with the group as a whole.
Individual permission is asked and noted, in the presence of the group, for any photos to be used by guides or other members of the group, in social media, or elsewhere.