Kochi's 'Cycle With Kochi' Initiative Empowers Local Women through Cycling

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 31 May 2022

Watching videos of young and middle-aged women overcoming their fears and learning to ride a bicycle is inspiring. Many women in Kochi have taken up cycling after being inspired by an initiative that aims to provide women with equal access to transportation and safety.

During the epidemic, individuals became increasingly aware of the environmental impact of transportation. Many people have turned to cycling as a viable alternative to public transportation for reasons of both safety and sustainability. Indeed, India's Bicycle Mayors, in collaboration with BYCS, an Amsterdam-based social organisation, pushed the #ResetWithCycling campaign to encourage everyone to ride their bikes, even in the long distance.

India's efforts to transform its cities into cycle-friendly destinations are gaining traction thanks to a slew of new projects. 'Cycle With Kochi' is one such effort that blends environment and empowerment. The Kochi Municipal Corporation, in partnership with Cochin Smart City-CSML for Centre for Heritage, Environment & Development, launched this project in 2021 to make Kochi the cycling capital of India. As part of the GIZ-led Transport Strategy Document created by Kochi Municipal Corporation under SMART-SUT, it is technically supported by Sustainable Urban and Industrial Development and Sustainable Urban Transport Systems for Smart Cities in India.

Women from Kudumbashree are being taught to ride their bikes to work as part of an effort aimed at raising an ecologically conscious generation of cyclists. Kudumbashree, a Kerala-based community organisation of women's Neighbourhood Groups (NHGs), has been striving to empower women in both rural and urban regions. The Cycle Training Program, which began in January this year with the goal of empowering women and schoolgirls by providing free riding lessons, has so far trained over a hundred women in the city, many of whom previously had to rely on a male family member for their commute or walk to work.

Kochi Municipal Corporation (KMC) has also launched the Know Your Streets Challenge as part of its 'Cycle with Kochi' initiative, which allows residents to contribute to the city's ambition of being India's Cycling and Active Streets Capital. Citizens participate in this challenge by sharing their experiences as cyclists in choosing streets that are most ideal for cycling and other active modes, as well as identifying acceptable sites for bicycle stands in Kochi. This crowdsourced data will aid in the mapping of the city's most cyclable routes and the development of a cycling community in Kochi.