India’s schoolgirls are quietly leading a cycling revolution, especially in rural areas. Nibha Kumari from Bihar, India’s poorest state, credits a government-provided bicycle with enabling her to complete high school. Bicycles have boosted girls’ confidence and school attendance, says health worker Bhuvaneshwari Kumari.
A study published in the Journal of Transport Geography shows that cycling among rural girls in India more than doubled from 4.5% in 2007 to 11% in 2017, narrowing the gender gap in cycling. Free bicycle distribution schemes, initiated in 2004, have significantly reduced school dropout rates among girls, a strategy also seen in countries like Colombia and Kenya.
Nationally, cycling to school increased from 6.6% to 11.2% over a decade, with the most substantial growth in rural areas. Urban cycling remains low due to traffic dangers. The study also noted a stark gender disparity in cycling among adults, with far fewer women cycling to work than men.
Although Nibha no longer cycles after marriage, the impact of these initiatives remains profound, echoing Susan B. Anthony’s sentiment that bicycles have empowered women globally.
Photo: (c) unsplash.com/Praniket Desai
