Women say “stop” to violence by pedalling
The bicycle, an important part of sustainable transportation, symbolises freedom and also an objection to violence. The Women on Bicycle Movement of the Ecologic Life Bicycle Association (EKOBİD) in Samsun, supported by the European Union Sivil Düşün programme, points precisely to this.
“We call women to the streets to take their bicycles and liberate themselves. Because we see the bicycle as a liberation movement', says Şenay Tümkaya, EKOBİD Representative. To her, the bicycle is both a tool for women's self-realisation and a means to oppose violence against women.
“The most important thing we are trying to do with this project is to raise awareness and public opinion against femicides, violence, harassment and rape,” she reflects.
According to 2019 data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Türkiye has the highest rate of women subjected to physical or sexual violence among European and OECD countries, with 38 per cent. In Türkiye, 334 women were killed by men in 2022, 280 in 2021 and 300 in 2020, in accordance with the data of the "We Will Stop Femicide Platform". The number of women found suspiciously dead was 245 in 2022, 217 in 2021 and 171 in 2020.
Awareness projects are of great importance in Türkiye, which withdrew from the Istanbul Convention setting basic standards to combat violence against women and domestic violence on March 20, 2021. Therefore, Tümkaya calls women to join the Women on Bicycle Movement to say "stop" to violence: “Come even if you don't know how to ride a bicycle! We will give you the necessary training. We teach you how to ride, set up and repair bicycles.”
Breaking stereotypes
One of those who heeded this call is Ayşegül Akyel, who has a 3.5-year-old granddaughter. "With this movement, we have wanted to draw attention to women subjected to societal violence and femicides. We have achieved this to a great extent. We want to break stereotypes, and I have broken these stereotypes for myself," she says with great pride and excitement.
Akyel learned to ride a bicycle properly through this movement. “Before, I used to cycle on the beach and go to the bazaar by bicycle, but I could not participate in long tours or traffic by bicycle. I had very little technical knowledge. Thanks to this movement, I increased my cycling knowledge and self-confidence,” she reflects.
Although Akyel underwent major surgery in 2019, she continues to cycle with the prosthesis in her lower back for herself and all women.
About Sivil Düşün
Sivil Düşün is a European Union programme that supports the rights-based projects of civil society organisations and activists throughout Türkiye. The programme provides in-kind support and expertise for small-scale, short-term and rights-based initiatives.
Photos by Erdem Kırım
MORE STORIES
