To bring forth a ‘mindset change,’ women to pedal on Fort Kochi streets at night

On Saturday night, women on bicycles will hit the streets of Fort Kochi, declaring their freedom from restrictive societal norms that set conditions for exercising their right to movement.

Around 30 women, aged between 15 and 70, are expected to participate in the ‘Freedom Night Ride’, dubbed a bold statement of freedom, safety, and empowerment. The event is being organised by SheCycling, a nationwide bicycle literacy campaign for women and girls by BYCS India, an NGO that has been imparting free cycling training to women and regularly organising rides in Kochi for the past three years. Kochi Corporation, Kerala Cycling Association, Centre for Heritage, and Environment & Development are among the agencies supporting the ride that is open to women of all age groups.

The ride will start from the St. Francis Church around 9 p.m. Women will pedal their way through the heritage-rich tourist sites of Fort Kochi before ending their ride on the Fort Kochi beach around 10.30 p.m. The event will also have brief stopovers at local teashops, as part of a larger community bonding, storytelling, and music sessions.

‘Instilling confidence’

“The whole idea is to transform the mindset of women, the public, and the policymakers. The objective of free cycling coaching is to facilitate women’s right to freedom of movement while instilling confidence in them. Women’s empowerment leads to the empowerment of families and society at large,” said Zeenath M.A., SheCycling’s Senior National Project Coordinator.

This will be the maiden night ride organised as part of the campaign. Mostly, those who learned cycling through the campaign would be the participants.

Last year, the Piravom municipality funded free cycling training to around 25 women. Ms. Zeenath had also trained women in Kashmir at the invitation of the Tourism department there and had coached cycling trainers in Pune. Last week, she trained 32 Haritha Karma Sena members in riding electric tricycles.

SheCycling, supported by BYCS India and the global cycling movement BYCS Amsterdam, has trained over 1,000 women across India, turning bicycles into instruments of freedom.

Published - June 12, 2025 06:54 pm IST