Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Why Were Saudi Women Denied the Right to Bike Until This Week?

In a bit of news that's bound to add some perspective to your local battles, Saudi Arabia this week lifted the ban on public biking for women, sort of. World Streets' Eric Britton relays the report from Al Jazeera:

On Monday, Saudi Arabia’s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice overturned a previous ban on cycling and motorbiking for women. The ruling stipulates that women must wear a full-body abaya, be accompanied by a male relative, and stay within certain areas. They are allowed to bike for recreational purposes only, not as a primary mode of transportation.

Britton writes that some of the credit may be due to the film "Wadjda" -- trailer shown above -- a portrait of a Saudi girl who dreams of owning a bicycle and racing her male peers. It wouldn't be the first time bicycling and women's liberation have intertwined.

Some historians credit the late 19th century bicycling movement with helping to fuel the successful campaign for women's suffrage in the United States.

Were there not some power in the ability to transport yourself freely, by your own force, it seems doubtful that bicycling would have been banned for women in Saudi Arabia in the first place. The fact that women still aren't permitted to bike for transportation demonstrates that this repressive state still fears the effects of bicycling on women's position in society.

Elsewhere on the Network today: The Wash Cycle reports that a man who was caught on video trying to run a cyclist off the road will likely be spared jail time, or even a suspended license. And the Active Transportation Alliance's Town Square blog shares a study that measured what Illinois's trail system contributed to the state's economy.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

A Father Speaks: Here’s Why The Speed Limit Must Be 20 MPH Everywhere

At an event on Wednesday, no one was more eloquent than the spotlight-avoiding father of the boy for whom Sammy's Law is named.

October 9, 2024

Council Bill Would Shift Taxi Driver Crash Costs onto Victims: Experts

Lower insurance for cabbies could mean higher costs for crash victims.

October 9, 2024

Wednesday Headlines: What is ‘News’ Edition

We'd much rather be writing about the Mets than counterpunching the DOT for barring us from a briefing. But that's where we are. Plus other news.

October 9, 2024

Gale Brewer Flips on E-Bike Registration Due To ‘Nasty’ Pressure

The former Manhattan borough president says she supports banning e-bikes from parks and a state campaign to require licensing.

October 8, 2024

Is Amtrak’s Big Dig Harming West Baltimore’s Black Neighborhoods?

Amtrak's single biggest infrastructure project got hit with a civil rights complaint. How should sustainable transportation advocates get involved in the conversation?

October 8, 2024
See all posts