Tomorrow marks the two-year anniversary of women facing their fears and discovering the joys of a very public freedom –to go where they will, trust their sense of balance, and rely on their own strength to get there. The freedom, that is, to be found on a bicycle —which more women are enjoying thanks to the campaign “ We Will Ride Bikes ”. Sponsored by the online community “ Girls’ Revolution ”, the campaign encourages women to cycle in public—and urges the public to support their right to do so.
Now with almost 100,000 members on its Facebook page, it is celebrating their daring this Friday with a group ride through Cairo from the October 6 th Panorama through Korba and back. For organizer Ghadeer Ahmed, cycling is a basic and very practical human right. “ It’s a practice that says, treat me like a human , she explains.
And society “has to accept women’s right to bike without being bothered.” Ghadeer is excited to see cycling culture spreading. “Many of our friends, participants, and page members have bought bicycles, and now they cycle every day .” Dina Omar just bought her first bike a few months ago. “When I first thought about cycling in the city, I was afraid,” she admits.
