The Sistahs of Kilimanjaro: Women Uplifting Women on Africa’s Highest Peak
I have stood on the summit and slopes of Kilimanjaro five times. Each climb has tested me, inspired me, and left me profoundly aware of how many people make those steps possible. But none of my climbs felt more meaningful than in 2012, when I climbed with eight extraordinary women -we named ourselves the Sistahs of Kilimanjaro.
That year, I climbed with Rosie Berard, Jody Foster, Bettina Breckenfeld, Margaret Webb, Shena Hinks, Kathleen Urdahl, Kelly Dunfee, Barbara Falco, and Sarah Macdonald
We weren’t just a climbing group—we were sisters, partners, friends- old and new and we were a statement that women traveling and adventuring, can carry each other as much as they carry their gear and weight in the world. We climbed not just for ourselves, but for the women who carry unseen loads, the kids we met while we were there and the ones battling aids that we raised money for through the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
We knew from the start: summits are sweeter with a purpose than transcends any one of us.
Sisters and Sistah’s- Reciprocity in action
The Hidden Backbone of Every Climb
Porters are the silent force behind every Kilimanjaro expedition. It is an astounding sight. They haul tents, oxygen ( if needed), food, fuel, gear—sometimes 20 to 25 kilos or more per person—so climbers like me/us can focus on placing one foot in front of the other. Without them, summiting Kilimanjaro would be an unimaginable task for most of us. And they don’t just carry our gear- they carry our tired spirits through humour, song and through repeating mantras like “Pole- Pole” Slowly, Slowly Dadas!
Though the load they carry is visible, many of the burdens they bear aren’t. Female porters often face extra hurdles. Many are forced to share tents with men (even strangers), lacking privacy and safety. Harassment and unequal treatment are realities. Equipment may not fit them; protective gear may be scarce. Pay is often lower or not transparent. And pathways into leadership (becoming guides or supervisors) are blocked by gender norms.
As noted in the More to Her Story article, women porters “carry social burdens—gender discrimination, lack of safety, and unequal pay” in addition to physical burdens.
In the Western world, summiting Kilimanjaro is a goal, a badge of achievement. But we must ask: at what cost, and for whom?
Why This Matters
Thousands of people visit Kilimanjaro every year, paying significant sums to realize a dream of altitude, vistas and triumph. The paradox is stark: the industry that profits from this dream often leaves women porters in vulnerable positions—unseen, under-protected, underpaid.
When the Sistahs of Kilimanjaro climbed in 2012, we felt that contradiction acutely. We questioned: Who carries us? How are they treated? Travel must extend beyond destination; it must be about reciprocity.
If tourism is a conversation, then climbers & travellers must speak in the interests of the communities they pass through—not only for themselves, but for those whose labor supports the journey.
What to Ask Before You Book
After a bit of research into this topic here are a few things to ask before committing to a Kilimanjaro climb,. Ask your operator:
Do female porters have their own tents or safe sleeping arrangements? Privacy/Security should be standard.
Are women paid the same as men for equivalent work? Are tip policies transparent?
What gear is supplied? Adequate boots, jackets, and properly sized packs are nonnegotiable.
What is the operator’s code of conduct on harassment? Are there complaint pathways, protections, and accountability?
Is the operator audited or affiliated with responsible-tourism initiatives ie- Kilimanjaro Porter Assistance Project
Operators Leading the Way
Change is happening but not to the scale that is needed. Some operators—local and international—are stepping up to build safer, more equitable models. I’m proud to say that on all of my climbs, I worked with a woman-owned operator in Moshi - two sisters in fact -called Zara Tours —and their commitment to women is a hopeful example . The respect they have earned in the climbing community is formidable.
Zara Tours: A Woman-Owned Operator
Zara Tours, based in Moshi, is publicly framed as a woman-owned company that champions gender equality and local empowerment. Their “Social Responsibility” narrative states that a portion of their proceeds supports local communities, and that they emphasize sustainability, inclusion, and local leadership.
While I couldn’t independently verify exact numbers of female porters they employ, their public positioning as a woman-owned operator gives them moral standing in this conversation—and I have personally experienced their attention to inclusive practices on the ground.
By choosing Zara Tours, we aligned our climb with a company actively asserting that women belong in every role in mountaineering: porter, guide, coordinator. Their approach signals to the industry that models built by women, for women, are not fringe—they can be central.This is what leadership looks like.
Other Operators Worth Mentioning
Wild Women Expeditions: They build women-led experiences and engage local women as guides, porters, and cultural liaisons globally.
Dare Women’s Foundation : an NGO that empowers Tanzanian women and girls through poverty alleviation, social justice, economic empowerment, and gender equality.
Kilimanjaro Wander Woman: the only all female owned and guided tour agency at Mount Kilimanjaro and one of very few in the entire of southern Africa
When you book with operators like Zara or those with strong equity policies, you help elevate these models and force the industry’s baseline upward.
Not just about the Summit
Climbing Kilimanjaro is rarely just about the summit. Each ridge, each day, each camp depends on the unseen work of porters. For women porters, that burden is compounded by inequities and silence.
The Sistahs of Kilimanjaro understood early that our climb was more than personal. Each of us came to the mountain with the belief that when one woman climbs, she helps raise the footholds for others. That was our silent pact as we staggered up the steep dusty trail, swapped mars bars and shared stories at night under the star filled sky.
Our climb taught me that reciprocity is not passive—it is active. It is choosing operators who care, speaking for those who struggle to be heard, tipping fairly, and demanding ethical standards.
A Call to the Travel Industry
Adventure travel must reconcile with equity.
Women porters are not extras—they are central participants in the story of every ascent. The industry owes them safety, fair pay, privacy, and pathways upward.
Operators must institutionalize codes of conduct, transparent wages, gender-sensitive infrastructure, and leadership opportunities for women. Travelers, in turn, must demand this. For too long, inequities have been hidden by the spectacle of summits or destinations. to check off a list. It’s past time to lift the veil.
Imagine girls in Tanzania seeing women porters, guides, expedition leaders, and thinking: I, too, have a place here. As they say “ You can’t be what you can’t see”.
Beyond the Summit
Standing at Uhuru Peak is amazingly powerful. Exhilarating really. But what endures longest in my heart is how I climbed—with eight fierce women, calling ourselves the Sistahs choosing to partner with a woman-owned operator, and honouring every woman who carried us forward.
Climbing is never just about the view from the top. It’s about: learning how to breathe, understanding that one step at a time is all you need, carrying the load can mean many things all at once, friendship is amplified in times of shared courage, and you are so much stronger than you think!
And when we descend, the impact has a ripple affect and the memories last a lifetime. Because the real summit is not only Uhuru Peak. It is equity for every woman !
So to my Dadas- thank you for sharing such an incredible journey- time for another one!
Here is a video montage of that remarkable Kili Climb with the nine of us
Sisters Bettina and Sunniva at the summit! It was just a hike…..
