Her dream job was a “man’s job.” That didn’t stop her

When tourists used to pass through Pokhara, Nepal on their trek through the Himalayas, they’d find an animated 12-year-old girl named Shreya following behind them, sharing travel tips as they approached their next trail.  

 Today, nine years later, Shreya’s still there. Only now, the tourists are following her — she’s employed as an official trekking guide and has led two trekking expeditions to date.  

Landing her dream job in this male-dominated industry wasn’t easy. In fact, “women in tourism” in Nepal is sometimes immediately associated with sex work.  

“There is a stereotype in the trekking industry that only men are in this profession,” Shreya says. “When as a female you jump into the pool, you face negative remarks, as well as abuse and harassment.” 

[Read — Force to sleep with the boss: 3 women share their stories] 

For Shreya, another big hurdle in becoming a trekking guide was escaping a life of poverty. Growing up, her parents didn’t earn much money working as house cleaners. But they always did what they could to make sure Shreya and her two siblings had food and a roof over their head.  

“When my friends ate chocolate, snacks and biscuits and wore nice clothes, I wanted to have those too,” Shreya says.  

But knowing her parents could not afford those things, she always kept this to herself.  

“My parents asked for money from our relatives,” Shreya continues. “Instead, they humiliated them. They harassed them for sending [my siblings and I] to school despite the financial crisis. My parents’ words motivated me. They treated us as valuable and never compromised on anything for us.”  

With her parents instilling the value of education in her, Shreya graduated from high school and decided to become a tour guide. But money was still a problem — she wasn’t sure if she would be able to afford the training fees.  

That’s when she heard about a free course run by a women-owned company called 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking. 3 Sisters works with women in rural Nepal to help them become trekking guides — traditionally considered a “man’s job.” The company even helps rescue young girls from child labor, providing them with access to education and safe spaces. Plan International is supporting organizations like 3 Sisters, helping protect girls and making it possible for young women like Shreya to start a career in the travel industry.  

After applying for the training with 3 Sisters, Shreya was accepted. And after she graduated from the course, she was hired as an apprentice trekking guide. Then, she was quickly promoted to an official guide.  

“The guests were impressed by my helpful nature,” Shreya says. “They recommended that 3 Sisters promote me as a guide. I didn’t believe it when 3 Sisters called me and told me that I had been promoted. This was one of my happiest moments.”  

When Shreya received her first paycheck, she bought herself a cell phone, then sent the rest of the money to her parents.  

“My parents supported me throughout the entire training period,” she says.  

Shreya is finally in her dream job, but as a woman, the work still comes with its challenges.   

“It was not easy in the beginning,” Shreya says. “But during my training, I learned about gender-based violence and how we should cope with these situations. Silence will never help when you face violence. You need to speak out against it.  

“Many times, we internalize the violence happening to us. Either that is because of fear of losing your job or reputation. Being a guide, I have faced such threats from my male colleagues as well as the tourists who come for the expedition. Since I have learned about it during training, I am now confident to address the situation and report it.”   

“Some of my friends doubt me for having a good connection with foreigners,” Shreya concludes. “They fear I will go abroad to earn money. I laugh at those accusations … I am happy with what I do.”