In a bustling city like Karachi, Pakistan, where the daily hustle can often become overwhelming, one woman’s journey has highlighted the transformative power of a two-wheeler.
Shaista Naz, a resident of Maripur has turned her need for transportation into a passion for bike riding.
“My journey as a bike rider began out of necessity and has now turned into my passion,” Shaista explains. Shaista’s mother is a widow and relies on her daughter to transport her and another younger daughter to critical care places like hospitals.
The journey has not been without its challenges.
Facing opposition from those who questioned the appropriateness of a girl riding a bike, Shaista persevered.
“Three boys on each bike surrounded me from all sides,” she recalls from her first day of riding. It was an attempt to unnerve her and force her to dismount from the bike.
But she remained undeterred – and has been riding a bike for the last two years.
“When you have no elder that can support you within the family, then the bike is a form of transport that makes you independent,” she asserts. The bike has granted her the freedom to travel where she pleases, be it for herself or her family.
Shaista was trained by the Pink Riders group after it began operating in Karachi in 2018. The group has since claimed to have trained thousands of girls and women.
At the Rowdy Riders training ground in Nazimabad, bike trainer Shumaila was on site training women how to ride.
“Override this fear, and life will be much easier. Learn to do your own work,” she advised other women.
In particular, growing inflation and the inability to get along with one family income is causing women to turn to bike riding, they say.
Sidra, a housewife in Nazimabad, is learning to ride a bike to enhance her independence.
“If we can ride a bike, then there is no need to wait for male family members to go to a doctor or to pick and drop children from school,” she explained.
Kanwal, another bike trainer, emphasized safety.
“We train with complete safety to protect yourself and those in front of you,” she assures. The focus is on preventing accidents and fostering responsible behavior on the road.
Azmat Shaan, a lecturer, joins the ranks of women seeking bike training, calling it the “need of the hour.”
She questions why women can’t excel in bike riding when they’re excelling in various other fields.
As society evolves, it is incrementally increasing its acceptance of women bike riders.
With the support of training institutes and trainers like Shumaila, Kanwal, and Azmat Shaan, women are breaking down barriers, rewriting norms, and forging their own paths.