More and more women motorcyclists in Pakistan are whizzing past the patriarchy
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Pakistan is an undeniably challenging country for women, and ranked the sixth most dangerous country in the world for women, according to Thomson Reuters Foundation. For a woman, learning to ride a motorcycle here means knowingly exposing yourself to endless scrutiny, jeers and disdain on the road, as well as the wrath of society at large.
The statistics speak for themselves. The Motorcycle Industry Council in the US reported a rise of 52% in female bike riders between 2003-2008, and nearly one in five motorcycle owners is now a female, compared to one in 10 less than a decade ago. The data also suggests that women could soon make up one quarter of US motorcycle owners, which would be a major shift in the motorcycling demographics of that country. In the UK, there are 5 million full motorcycle license holders, 525,000 of which are women motorcycle license holders.
Riding a two-wheeler in a deeply patriarchal, conservative country where motorcycles are stereotypically seen as a male dominated form of transportation, women riders are steadily on the increase-- and this is by no means a weak feat to achieve.
In Pakistan, the lack of aggregated data as well as a skewed ownership pattern makes it difficult to collect the actual numbers of female bike riders in the country. The motorbike industry sources estimate the number to be so small as to be negligible. There are an estimated 15 million motorcycles in active use in the country, only a handful of which are primarily used by women. These occasional dare devils wearing helmets above their headscarves can be seen whizzing past in most of the major metropolitan cities of the country.
It’s a reassuring sight; to witness young girls and women reclaiming their public space in a widely divided nation, where an interpretation of religion propagated by barely literate clerics of local mosques carry more weight than logic or law.
The Center for Economic Research in Pakistan has found that men oppose female family members taking public transport. Such restrictions on mobility constrain women from pursuing higher education and working.
Mehreen Mujtaba
Although women on motorcycles is fast becoming a more and more common sight on the road in metropolitan cities, it is still rare enough to make heads turn and invite second glances, lewd comments, leers and jeers.
Pakistani women face many different struggles on the roads, whether they are heading for work, education, household chores etc. This represents a major socioeconomic challenge in a country where a vast majority of the population cannot afford to buy cars, the only mode of transportation deemed acceptable for women to drive on their own-- which is also not without its perils. There is a lack of an efficient mass transit system and proper public transport in most major cities, let alone small towns and rural areas of the country. In Lahore, a provincial capital of more than 11 million people with an extensive road network but inadequate mass transit, riding public buses often means long waiting hours and crowded buses and coaches, where women are often subjected to harassment with impunity.
The Center for Economic Research in Pakistan has found that men oppose female family members taking public transport. Such restrictions on mobility constrain women from pursuing higher education and working, and restrict them to their homes.
In January 2016, the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif launched the Women On Wheels project (WoW). Through this project, pink scooters were given to hundreds of working women and female students. WoW trained more than 3,500 female motorbike riders on the premise that economic empowerment is dependent on mobility. However, unfortunately, the project was shelved in 2019 by the PTI-led government.
Riding your own motorbike is a cost-effective commute option in many major cities, especially for middle income individuals and youngsters who cannot afford to invest in cars and cabs. The federal and provincial governments should start a scheme to provide easy access to motorcycles for women and girls so that they can commute easily, while the services of an institute should be provided to train them to ride the two-wheelers. Women all over the world are rallying for climate justice, since climate change impacts women more than men. What better way for Pakistani women to go forward than riding electric eco-friendly bikes? There are numerous examples of remarkable women all over the country who are willing to hold the bull by the horns and make a name for themselves by not only riding their bikes across the length and breadth of the country but also to train other women and girls.
— Dr. Mehreen Mujtaba is a freelance consultant working in the areas of environment and health.
