OPEN JAW MAGAZINE: Women Travel Leaders: Mary Jean Talks International Women’s Day

Sunday is International Women’s Day, a global celebration of women's social, economic, cultural and political achievements.

This year's theme of #EachforEqual is founded on the notion that while we are all a part of a bigger picture, we each have an individual role to play in creating an equal world.

But what does #EachforEqual mean for women in travel, and how does IWD resonate with some of the women working in the industry? Open Jaw reached out to a few influential women holding leadership positions in travel to hear what they had to say.

Mary Jean Tully, Founder & CEO, Tully Luxury Travel

On what IWD means to her:

I love strong women, mothers who work full-time, rush home to do homework, run the bath for the kids, and still run companies or have powerful jobs. It's the hardest job in the world. I think it's time people realized that women are the backbone of every country and the backbone of families throughout the world.

On how travel empowers women:

Solo travel among women is much more popular and many places -- from hotels to safari lodges -- are making it easier to travel solo. There are so many women today that have careers or are under a lot of pressure who still want to go away and experience things, and they don't rely on doing it as a couple. And a solo woman doesn't mean she's a single woman. Many women say their husbands are golfers, but she still wants to be enriched and go touring.

On how Tully Luxury Travel supports women:

In many countries, some of the best guides are women but they're often overlooked. At Tully Luxury Travel, we specifically ask for women guides. Women have to stick by each other.

From a company perspective at Tully Luxury Travel, people are promoted because of their abilities, not their sex. Our office is almost all women. When you have an independent and strong woman, she makes good decisions and is a team player and there's no jealousy. You fight for each other and you stand up for each other, not climb over each other to get to the top.