Women and Cycling Inclusivity Campaign

#FreedomToMove

Developed for Women Mobilize Women Spring 2022

For most of the 21st century, cities around the world have embraced a resurgence in the power of cycling to move people in sustainable and active ways. However, with infrastructure often slow to catch up to the need, the image of cycling has tended to appear difficult, athletic, and more suited to men. What is often not communicated is how cycling in all its forms can be a tool for emancipation for women, providing freedom and autonomy to move through the city unencumbered, facilitating the varied types of journeys women make, and even providing a tool for taking one’s power back and be in control of their lives rather than dependent on someone else.

The power of cycling in creating a more inclusive mobility environment is important to share through experience. There are many tangible barriers to everyday cycling for women and non-binary and transgender individuals – lack of safe infrastructure, lack of access to cycles, lack of ability in first knowing how to cycle, etc. But these are surmountable goals through investment and education. At the same time, good awareness campaigns can help overcome the more intangible barriers, stemming from the perception that cycling is not something for them. Through awareness building campaigns, it is possible to show women and non-binary and transgender individuals that cycling is indeed something attainable, and even freeing. 

There is an old adage, “If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.” Just as increasing representation of women in the mobility field is vital to changing the narrative, so too is representation in the images we use in campaigns that encourage cycling.

The purpose of this guide is to provide a template to Women Mobilize Women on communicating the inclusivity cycling can bring to women, non-binary and transgender individuals of all ages and abilities. The themes and messaging are aimed at addressing ways to communicate with a variety of groups, and can be used as a starting point for this and future campaigns to create comprehensive, engaging, and inspirational content that will help show women the power of cycling in their freedom and emancipation. See full campaign HERE.