Why have "women's travel" organisations? - Alice ponders

Deutsche

Women's travel is a fairly big industry, and there's a number of reasons why a traveler may choose a service that specialises in women's travel.
One reason might be political:  we all know women typically earn less in their lifetimes, so maybe supporting a female-run business is helping to rectify that.  Maybe supporting a female-run business will also help to ensure that women get more higher-ranking jobs in management.  (no comment here about female bosses who favor male employees!)
Another is about confidence.  If an outdoor activity is advertised as being especially for women, female travelers will feel more confident that the tasks laid out for them will be physically possible for them to do, and less worried about finding things too heavy/too high for them to manage.  They also don't have to worry about not getting a chance to participate because the guys are so much keener/ more knowledgeable.  An example of this might be a group sailing activity where men are simply more likely to position themselves centerstage.  If the group were all female, there might be a better chance to participate.
A same-sex group has a different feeling too.  I'm sure most men will agree that a night out with "the boys" (and I don't mean Keas) is a completely different experience from a mixed-gender party.  It's the same with women.  While guys are lovely and great fun, a trip out with 'the girls' can be nice.
There are some activities many men would just rather not do.  This is most apparent in mixed-gender tour groups, especially from more traditional cultures, where the husband may be really keen to go hunting or fishing, and the wife would rather look at the museum, learn a craft, go on a boat tour.  In western society, the differences are less pronounced, but I challenge you to advertise a "justice tour" where the group goes and visits older people to hear about their stories of colonial oppression, and see how many men sign up.
Speaking of hearing the stories of old people, some women want to learn about how other women live in different places, and see how women's rights stand and have stood in a place.  That's a pretty specialized field of interest that may be better enjoyed in a female-only tour group.
Lastly, women can feel more confident on an all-female tour of avoiding sexual attention and getting the kind of respect that includes not having to listen to unkind remarks about feminists or lesbians or lesbian feminists.  It's not that these things happen much, possibly they don't happen at all, but it's really bad when you do run into it and it's nice to feel sure that it won't happen.

If you are interested in going on an all-female tour, I recommend you check out these websites:

http://www.journeywoman.com/:  This website is international and has been running for a long time.
http://womentravel.co.nz/:  this is a New Zealand women's travel website, and this is their blog:  http://www.womentravelnz.com/

Both of these websites will direct you to tour operators that offer oestrogen-rich experiences.  Do you have any other reasons for going on an all-female tour?  Can you recommend another website?  Would an all-male tour be just as much fun for guys?  I welcome you to comment!