Feminist city guides shine spotlight on women-owned businesses around the world

By Genevieve Shaw Brown

For female travelers looking to support women-owned businesses, a new travel magazine and web site has put together "feminist city guides" for 20 destinations around the world.

Unearth Women has published two print issues so far, but the city guides can be found on their web site. The guides cover destinations from London to Jaipur.

Nikki Vargas/Unearth Women

A local fruit vendor poses on the streets of Cartagena's Old City.

"The goal of our feminist city guides is to celebrate the influence of women in cities around the world, their impact on society, and to spotlight female-led businesses," Nikki Vargas, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Unearth Women, told "Good Morning America."

The magazine relies on local writers and avid travelers to help inform their guides.

Unearth Women

A look inside the first issue of Unearth Women.

"Whether it's the feminist library in Beirut or a female-run gallery in Johannesburg, our guides look at a city through the lens of women's past and present influence on that particular place," Vargas said.

Unearth Women

The second issue of Unearth Women featuring CNN's Lisa Ling.

For example, a guide to Portland, Oregon highlights the female-founded Blue Star Donuts shop; the entirely female-run Nightwood Society, a collective of chefs, butchers, farmers and sommeliers; and French restaurant Coquine, led by a female chef.

Jenna Kunze/Unearth Women

Rajasthani women gather on the street for chai.

In Buenos Aires, the guide directs readers to Eva Peron's grave, who founded "pushed for the rights of women to vote and run for office" and Graffiti Mundo, a female owned-and-operated graffiti tour of the city.

Vargas said Unearth Women hopes to publish a new feminist city guide each week.

"Each feminist city guide will strive to go beyond the standard tourist attractions of a destination and aim to celebrate the women of that city," Vargas added.