Women riding cycles or bikes is still considered a taboo in Afghanistan. But things are changing.
Lately, few women have been embracing the feeling of freedom that comes on two wheels.
The Afghanistan’s National Women’s Cycling Team are among the first Afghan girls to be riding bikes socially. They face enormous challenges to ride a bike but these women are challenging gender barriers, breaking one of the last taboos in the country for women.
Nominated for the 2016 Noble Peace Prize
These women have used cycling to promote social justice and social stigma. Whether they realize it or not, they are setting an example for all the women of the world.
The team has been nominated by a group of Italian MPs for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for their dedication.
Following a media campaign to include them in this year's nomination, 118 Italian ministers voted to nominate the Afghanistan Women’s Cycling Team, according to Total Women’s Cycling.
Is this the start of a revolution?
As these women bring national pride to themselves and to a war-torn country, they are opening the door to allow girls to ride bicycles for transportation.
They believe that social change can occur one pedal stroke at a time. They are brave, strong, and fearless. They simply need tools to create gender equality. Or in this case, bicycles.
Afghanistan is more than just a drug country and these empowering women are the future.
