Supershe Island's Complicated Legacy

When “women’s empowerment” becomes a travel product, it tends to arrive wrapped in pine trees and perfect light.

- TDG NETWORK

SuperShe Island, the women-only retreat launched off Finland's southern coast, became a global curiosity because it took a familiar instinct—women wanting space away from male scrutiny—and turned it into an exclusive destination. The island’s founder, entrepreneur Kristina Roth, presented it as a sanctuary designed for women to reset, with a curated schedule of wellness activities, outdoor exercise, and shared meals.

The pitch worked because it spoke to a real problem. Women travel differently because the world treats women differently. Safety calculations shape everything from where you walk at night to whether you share your hotel location. Even leisure can feel like performance, especially in heavily photographed spaces where the “male gaze” is baked into social norms. Women-only gyms, women's train compartments, and women-centered co-working spaces exist for the same reason: they reduce the cognitive load of vigilance.