'Anticipating a day when female cycling and motorbiking will be normalised in Pakistan feels like an uphill climb. However, I am still hopeful that if more women take up the courage to challenge such cultural norms.' ✍️ Rahma Khan for MetroOpinion
I grew up in a liberal and educated family and my parents never encouraged the misogyny that plagued our society. But they also never challenged it.
in 2018. It was then when the first ever Aurat March took place in Karachi – a peaceful gathering of women to fight the patriarchal society. Among the sea of people, one banner particularly caught my attention: ‘Normalise women riding bikes,’ it said.Standing up against a deep-rooted stigma was not at all easy
Angry and confused, I started looking to the internet for motivation. In my research, I came across Zenith Irfan on Instagram – thought to be Pakistan’s first woman to ride solo on a motorcycle across the country. These women inspired me to learn to ride against all odds. ‘How hard it could be?’, I wondered optimistically. My goal at that time was to challenge the stereotype for my own satisfaction, of not continuing to be a part of an absurd cultural norm.With a couple of friends, I practised on a bicycle I borrowed from my cousin on an empty street in the early hours of the morning so I didn’t attract a lot of attention, but I did get some looks from passers-by.
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