Women's movement ZIJKant and share bike company Lime kicked off the “Women Ride The City” bike ride in Brussels at around 14:00 on Sunday. By doing so, they want to draw attention to the gender gap between men and women. For example, 77% of women do not use shared bicycles because of concerns about safety and poor infrastructure, according to ZIJKant's press release.
A recent IPSOS poll shows that 77% of women in Belgium refuse to use shared bikes or steps. Only 11% of women use them on a weekly basis, mainly because women fear unsafe streets and inadequate cycling infrastructure. These obstacles are particularly problematic at night.
In addition, only 28% of women also say they would consider using a shared bike in the future. 47% already definitely will not.
‘This is a regrettable finding, because a bike or scooter gives you freedom and independence," says Julie van Garsse, ZIJKant's director. "Or as American activist Susan B. Antony said in 1880: 'The bicycle did more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.' We believe that the city belongs to everyone and that mobility is a feminist issue," she adds. "By cycling together, learning together and being present in public spaces, we are making a powerful statement: Brussels belongs to women too."
To raise awareness of the problem, Lime and ZIJKant joined forces by putting together a real bicycle parade across Brussels. On Sunday at around 14:00, around 30 participants took to the streets by bike. This initiative is part of a broader mission to close the gender gap in mobility and look at the city through feminist glasses.
