I tell him about gender inequality in cycling in many countries in the world and some of the reasons for it. He can not believe that cycling could possibly be inappropriate for women and says "I think it is peculiar. How can cycling be considered inappropriate???"
I am happy to hear his opinion about this and see his surprised face.
Then I give him a short version of women & cycling history in the Netherlands. Where 100 years ago (and less) cycling was also not seen as an activity that should be stimulated for women. Found an old picture on the web from that period. Man rides, woman is taken...
(members.multimania.nl)
Will be interested in what the (majority) men there will have to contribute on change... but more locally, what is not equitable in Dutch cycling culture at least in regards to people born in the country? If two-people have one bike, does the non-owner always sit on the back, even if it is a man and the bike owner is a woman? But also in e.g. Amsterdam or Utrecht do immigrant women cycling more (percentage) than NL-born women in e.g. Limburg?
ReplyDeleteSorry, Limburg as an example of a low-cycling rate, relatively-speaking.
ReplyDeleteMy experience is that still, women and girls rather sit at the back on the bikes then to do the work. This is not only a matter of musclepower I think as in cars with couples I see many more men driving then women.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean that you are interested to learn what men have contributed to the acceptance of cycling for women, or what they are doing now?
As for the comparison, I do not have the good figures to do that properly.