It’s a sad fact that travelling businesswomen suffer gender-specific safety risks, especially in unfamiliar environments.
Many female business travellers are concerned about the challenges they may experience while travelling for work:
83% of women said they experienced one or more safety-related concerns or incidents while travelling for business in the past year
Source: 2018 survey by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in partnership with AIG Travel
You might have seen these news stories…
In May 2025, a masked gang attempted to kidnap the daughter and grandson of a cryptocurrency chief in Paris. She and her husband fought off the assailants with the help of passers-by, and the attackers drove off empty-handed.
The kidnap attempt was captured on video by an onlooker. Watch it here:
Read the story on the BBC website.
In January 2024, a man was caught on camera as he attempted to kidnap an 11-year-old girl walking to school in Arizona. She escaped by running away and screaming for help.
Find out more on the ABC News website
We’re not sharing these stories to scare anyone, but to emphasise the need for professional security for someone who’s UHNW or vulnerable and likely to be a target.
As you are no doubt aware, there is a rise in solo travel along with heightened global volatility.
All women face unique cultural and legal barriers globally, and 29 countries are currently classified as high-risk for female travellers due to discriminatory laws, high rates of gender-based violence, and limited access to health services.
Source: Safeture
High ranking female executives usually have raised visibility due to their public profile, which makes them particular targets for corporate espionage, stalking or physical threats.
Handbag snatches are prevalent in certain cities. To help address this, we advise using a bag with a cross-body strap so it’s more difficult for an opportunist to grab. Also, wear it with the clasp close to the body so no-one can dip in and take a phone, purse or any other property.
In many destinations, women have specific concerns about harassment, discrimination, and sexual assault.
If you are responsible for arranging secure transportation for female executives, we can help.
We are trained security drivers with years of expertise in chauffeuring business travellers anywhere in the world. We also provide Close Protection / Executive Protection (CP/EP) officers, also known as bodyguards, as well as other security services.
Every trip is different, so it all starts with a thorough assessment to identify the threat level and ways to reduce the risks.
Although we trade as Secure Ground Transportation®, we can also arrange private aviation with a security driver to the departure airport and a meet-and-greet service on arrival. We also help with concierge services, so whatever you need, just ask!
For cultural reasons, some female business travellers can only have a female protection team.
Some might prefer a female CP/EP so that they look like a pair of friends or work colleagues travelling together.
For example, we often work with Jacquie Davis, recognised as ‘the world’s top female bodyguard’. Find out more about Jacquie on Our People page (scroll down).
It’s essential to be discreet. If the client opts for a female CP/EP, she will always dress like the principal so she won’t draw attention.
On the other hand, some businesswomen prefer a male CP/EP so they look like a couple. In fact, we recently looked after a female CEO who chose a male team to act as her security.
A male CP/EP would try and blend in, usually by dressing business casual which seems to be the trend these days.
For more about close protection, please see our sister site SGT Risk Management.
Our security drivers and CP/EP officers usually have backgrounds in police, military or special operations, so they are highly trained.
There are many stories of brave women who have worked in Special Operations. Just one is Phyllis Latour. Aged 23 in 1944, she parachuted into occupied Normandy to help gather information about Nazi positions in preparation for D-Day.
She pretended to be a silly French girl selling soap, while passing 135 secret messages to the British using a secret code hidden inside a hair tie.
Phyllis didn’t brag about her achievements. Her family discovered her wartime service by accident, in the year 2000. In 2014, she was awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. She died in 2023.
To ensure confident professional travel, female leaders require targeted risk management and specialised safety planning.
They need highly personalised protection frameworks rather than a ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy.
Female executive travellers need to understand local customs, dress codes, and gender-based restrictions.
They should demand vetted, double-locked hotel rooms which are not on the ground floor, pre-arranged chauffeured ground transport, and access to a 24-hour support helpline. (We can help with all of that!)
For employers, this is a core workplace equality issue. Without this support, women’s ability to operate effectively in high-risk markets is hindered compared to their male peers.
Here’s another piece of important advice. Travellers should be aware that sharing real-time locations and itineraries on social media is risky. Every photo, update or tag can fall into the wrong hands.
Oversharing can lead to unintended results, as shown in this advert by the Irish data protection authorities ‘Pause before you post’:
While the advert talks about protecting children, the point it makes is equally valid for anyone who is vulnerable – this includes UHNW business women.
All business travellers want a safe and successful trip, so it’s important to understand the specific threats that female executives face on the road and mitigate those risks.
Next time you are arranging travel security for female executives, please call Neil and Gary on +44 (0)20 7871 3117. We’ll be happy to help.
For more on this subject, you might like to check out some of our related articles:
Stand out differences between a security driver and a chauffeur
