I caused a Twitter storm by suggesting women should travel to Morocco – here’s why I stand by my statement

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A less than reputable online publication had taken the word “solo” from the article’s headline – referring to women being able to book onto each of the inclusions without friends or partners, joining instead with a band of like-minded female travellers – and added it to the Morocco entry, to come up with the following fictitious but compelling bit of nonsense: “The Independent recommends single women go hiking alone in Morocco three months after two young Scandinavian women were savagely beheaded by Isis terrorists while hiking.” Cue outraged right-wing men from across the internet telling me I was encouraging women to meet their untimely deaths in north Africa. Men could go to Morocco, of course, and perhaps women could go there too – but only in the company of said men, some of whom would preferably be “armed”. At any rate, it didn’t matter that I pointed out the trip was a group one, complete with fully organised itinerary and led by experienced guides; it didn’t matter that the Foreign Office doesn’t advise against travel to any part of Morocco; it didn’t matter that, were we to avoid every country where women experience sexual and physical violence, we’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere in the world to visit. It’s one of the only places I keep revisiting as I love it so much.” “I spent three months there and had no problem when I travelled alone,” added food and travel writer Yolanda Evans.