In India, the fight for gender-responsive mobility has found a strong ally through the partnership between MobiliseHER and SheCycling. At the heart of this story is Zeenath M. A., Senior National Project Coordinator of SheCycling, a woman whose personal journey became the seed of a nationwide movement. 

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“The day I balanced on two wheels for the first time, it felt like something inside me broke free”.

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A new life on two wheels 

Married young, shaped by traditional expectations and silenced by decades of hardship, she believed her time to dream had already passed. But in 2022, when she joined the Cycle with Kochi Project, everything changed. The project of C-HED (Centre for Heritage, Environment & Development) under the Kochi Municipal Corporation, supported by GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation) and coordinated by Prakash P Gopinath, the Bicycle Mayor of Trivandrum.  

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Zeenath touched a bicycle for the very first time at the age of 44. The moment she pedalled on her own, she felt the power of freedom and realised it was not too late to dream. From that day, her life began to take a new direction. Soon, she returned not only to practise but also to help other women. Within months, she was invited to become a trainer. 

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“That moment, when I moved forward on my own, powered by my own body and spirit—it was as if the invisible chains of my past began to fall away.”  

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The birth of SheCycling  

SheCycling began modestly with just 14 bicycles, six of them new, purchased by Zeenath and her colleagues. It soon grew into a national campaign with the support of BYCS India, reaching women far beyond Kerala. 

  

From Srinagar in Kashmir to Leh in Ladakh, SheCycling has already taught more than a thousand women to ride. Its approach is simple yet powerful: a Training of Trainers model that equips women to become instructors in their own communities. In addition, the initiative established Sheroes Cycling Clubs and Bicycle Brigades in schools, planting seeds of empowerment across generations. 

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The next step is to build a nationwide network of Sheroes Cycling Clubs—local women’s cycling groups wherever training takes place. The movement had long been stalled by a lack of resources, time, and structure, but the plans are now alive again:  

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“With continued support from MobiliseHER, we are now working on reviving, strengthening, and uniting these clubs across the country. Our dream is to create a vibrant, supportive, all-India sisterhood on wheels—a connected force of women who not only cycle, but uplift others to do the same.” 

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Stories that last forever  

Aji, a 53-year-old domestic worker with little formal education and a lifetime of struggles, was one of the learners. Her goal in joining the classes was simple: to save money on transport. 

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Despite scepticism from many around her, she practised every day for two weeks until she managed to ride on her own. Her second-hand bicycle became her pride and independence. Zeenath recalls the words Aji once shared with her:  

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“I am saving money to buy a new bicycle… I want to give this one to you and Sir, so you can teach another woman like me.” 

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“Aji, who owns just two saris and earns only enough to survive, wanted to pass on her freedom to another woman. To me, that is true wealth.” , completed Zeenath. 

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For Zeenath, it was proof that SheCycling is not only about teaching women to ride but also about sharing freedom, and dreams, that she herself only discovered at the age of 44. 

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From passion to expansion  

Before becoming what it is today, SheCycling survived for months without financial support, formal recognition, or visibility beyond local news. The arrival of MobiliseHER changed everything. 

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MobiliseHER is a three-year project co-financed by EuropeAid, designed to enable gender-responsive urban mobility and create more accessible and inclusive infrastructure and services. It is implemented in partnership with the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI), WRI India, CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), and Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) India. 

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The project was the first to recognise SheCycling’s potential, providing not only resources but also legitimacy, trust, and encouragement. With this support, SheCycling could think bigger: expanding into new states, planning dedicated mobility spaces, and organising innovative events. 

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“MobiliseHER did not just support SheCycling—it recognised its strength and believed in our dream.”  

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The night the streets belonged to women  

In 2023, with support from MobiliseHER and inspired by Sema Gür and Pinar Pinzuti, who launched the Freedom Night Ride in Turkey and Europe, SheCycling organised the event in Kochi. It became the very first time in 40 years of the Kochi Carnival’s cycling parade that women officially participated. 

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For many, it was their first time riding at night—an act considered radical in a society where “respectable women” are told not to go out after dark. Together, they filled the streets with music, slogans, and laughter, reclaiming a space long denied to them.

 

“As a woman who once hesitated to cycle even in daylight, leading a group of women riding confidently through the streets of Kochi at night was like breaking centuries of silence. It reminded us all that a cycle can be a tool of empowerment, and a road can be a path to equality.”  

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Challenges ahead  

Despite these milestones, barriers remain. Women in India still face: 

• Cultural restrictions, where cycling is seen as inappropriate. 

• A lack of safe infrastructure, making cycling dangerous. 

• Fear of harassment in public spaces. 

• Economic inequality, which makes bicycles unaffordable. 

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That is why the partnership between SheCycling and MobiliseHER is so crucial. Together, they are: 

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• Training local instructors to build community networks. 

• Advocating for safe mobility spaces in cities and towns. 

• Reviving Sheroes Clubs to sustain engagement. 

• Using the SheCycling jeep, equipped with bicycles, to bring training to remote areas. 

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A message to women everywhere 

Thanks to MobiliseHER, SheCycling has grown from a local initiative into part of a global movement for gender equity and sustainable mobility. Zeenath leaves a message for every woman who still hesitates: 

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“I was 44 when I first touched a bicycle as a learner. To any woman reading this who’s still afraid, unsure, or thinks it's too late: I want you to hear this from someone who has lived your fear. It is never too late. And you are not alone. You are allowed to want more—from your day, your body, your life.”  

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She has already taught women aged 16 to 75. Each one, in her own way, has found freedom on two wheels.  

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“Come. Come as you are. With your fear, your doubts, your age, your past. Come tired. Come curious. Just come. We will hold the cycle. We will hold space. And when you’re ready, we will let go. And you will fly.”