A guide can change the way you understand the forest.
In Bandhavgarh, she might notice the warning call of a chital before anyone else in the vehicle. She may distinguish fresh tiger tracks from those left the previous evening, explain the relationship between langurs and deer, or draw attention to the smaller species easily overlooked when everyone is searching for stripes.
Knowledge matters, but so does the confidence to communicate it. For women working in India’s national parks, access to structured training, professional networks and career development hasn’t always been equal.
The Steppes Fund for Female Guides was created to address these barriers. Since its launch in 2023, we’ve supported women seeking the skills and qualifications needed to build careers in tourism. Our first training programme in India brought together 53 women working in Bandhavgarh, Pench, Kanha and Satpura, covering everything from wildlife interpretation and navigation to conservation responsibilities and guest communication.
Learning across national parks
Earlier this summer, we returned to central India for a further programme, organised with our partners in the country. Women from Kanha and Pench travelled to Bandhavgarh, where they joined local guides for a series of training sessions, practical activities and shared time in the field.
Bringing guides from different parks together was an important part of the programme. Each reserve has its own landscapes, wildlife populations and working practices. By staying and learning together, the women could compare experiences, discuss the challenges they encounter and hear how their counterparts approach guiding elsewhere.
During a safari in Bandhavgarh, the local guides shared their knowledge of the park and spoke about their work. The visiting guides from Kanha described the opportunity to exchange ideas as one of the most valuable parts of the programme:
“It was a great experience to stay together, share our experiences and learn from each other.”
They returned home hoping that similar exchanges could take place in other national parks, allowing female guides to continue building a network across India’s wildlife regions.
Finding the confidence to speak
For Bharti Shukla, a guide at Bandhavgarh National Park, the programme brought a noticeable change in how she communicates with others.
“My self-confidence has increased, and I gained a lot of useful knowledge and information. The most important change is that I no longer feel hesitant when speaking in front of others.”
The activities gave her opportunities to express her ideas, contribute to discussions and become more comfortable interacting with a group. These may appear to be simple steps, but guiding requires someone to hold the attention of guests, respond to questions and make decisions in an environment where circumstances can change quickly.
Pushpanjali Sahu, also a guide at Bandhavgarh, spoke of the effect on the group as a whole. She said the training had strengthened their knowledge, confidence and motivation, adding:
“We will carry these valuable lessons with us in our work as guides.”
Their words are a reminder that professional development isn’t only about accumulating facts. It’s also about recognising the value of what you already know and learning how to share it with authority.
Guiding, livelihoods and conservation
Many women living near Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench have grown up with a close understanding of these forests. They know the changing seasons, the behaviour of animals and the realities of living alongside protected wildlife.
Training helps turn this knowledge into a recognised profession. It provides practical qualifications, safer working practices and the communication skills needed to guide visitors from different backgrounds. It also allows travellers to experience India’s national parks through a wider range of voices.
There’s a direct conservation value too. As Amit Sankhala, who has organised the delivery of our work in India, has previously explained:
“If their livelihoods depend on wildlife, then they are the best guardians of our forest.”
Supporting female guides is therefore about more than representation. It helps ensure that tourism provides meaningful employment for communities living beside India’s protected areas, whilst giving women the confidence and professional standing to help shape how those places are understood.
