“I feel so liberated whenever I step out of my house to ride my bike.” Little did she know that her bike would become a source of joy for her. Who thought something as mundane as riding a motorcycle could become such an exhilarating and fun experience for her? How can something as little as riding a bike could empower women? What’s that special about a girl riding a motorcycle?” There is indeed something very special about it,” said Syeda Fatima Zehra, a student of Economics at Karachi University.
Time has changed, and the city of lights, Karachi, has slowly but surely evolved. Back in the day, girls riding bikes or scooters was nothing less than a rare sight. You would barely spot a woman riding a bike on the streets of the busiest city of Pakistan.
“To make our country progressive and prosperous, we must ensure there are enough opportunities for women’s mobility, ” said Zehra.
Zehra is the middle child of three siblings, all sisters. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say she’s a diehard fan of football. She is an integral part of the girl’s football team at Karachi University as well.
Her father suffered a stroke last year, which unfortunately resulted in the left side of his body being paralysed. Now, he has a hard time doing any chores whatsoever.
“My parents have always supported me; they’ve made me self-sufficient. They’ve taught me to be independent, so even after Baba’s deteriorating health, the responsibilities have increased, but they are never a burden to me. I used to ride my bike and do all the work regardless. It’s just nice that now I can help my parents and be a source of support for my father,” said Zehra with a tinge of pride in her voice.
She is currently enrolled in the economics department. Managing studies with house chores gets physically and mentally draining for her. Zehra makes conscious efforts to take time out of her monotonous routine just so that she can have a little fun.
She recalled a memory with a slight grin on her face, “I vividly remember how one of my exams didn’t go well at all. I was very livid that specific day; I rang my best friend’s phone and asked her to get ready. I rode my bike and picked her up from her house. We sat down at a chai hotel where we had chai parathas. I vented to her, she listened, and that very moment felt like a breath of fresh air to me.”
We’ve seen many female characters in Bollywood movies who use their iconic motorcycles to commute from one destination to another. Be it Anushka Sharma in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi or Katrina Kaif in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and we’ve seen them effortlessly riding it and making the scenes look super fascinating for the audience.
Nimra Saleem, a keen student who studies at the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Sports Sciences, is now an avid biker. She recalled, “Initially, I used to get frightened about how to maintain balance while riding bikes. But what motivated me was the way I got intrigued by seeing Bollywood actresses riding bikes in movies.”
Nimra’s father has been supportive of her, he has always been a steadfast advocate of her freedom and independence. He’s a firm believer that all girls need to be independent regardless of whatever situations they’ll have to face.
However, not everyone in her family shared the same view as his father. For her brother, it was nearly unfathomable that someone as delicate and fragile as Nimra could ride a bike through the congested and chaotic streets of Karachi. The city is infamous for its heavy traffic; her brother was deeply concerned for her sister to deal with such scenes.
After having a small pause, Nimra said, “If I’m being brutally honest, I did have some unpleasant encounters with people while riding my bike. You do get catcalled, it unfortunately happens. How I deal with it is simply by not responding; their behavior is the reflection of their character and upbringing, not mine.”
Her younger sister has impressive skills when it comes to riding bikes. To her sheer surprise, it was Nimra’s younger sister who inspired her to learn how to ride a bike. “My younger sister taught me how to ride a bike. I asked myself, ‘If she could do it, then why couldn’t I?'” said Nimra.
She saves a lot of money as now she doesn’t have to spend a huge amount of money on public transport. Alongside being a student, she also works at three jobs. She needs to reach there at their designated times. Her bike not only conserves her time but also her hard-earned money.
Nimra shared, “I just noticed how my life has become very social after I’ve started riding my bike. Engaging with people has become a lot easier and more accessible for me now. I used to travel through public transportation before which was honestly nothing less than a nightmare. Now, I can go anywhere without having to go through any hurdles.”
Since riding her bike, she has the power to multitask. She feels very productive. People rely on her for help as they know she will show up for them. She loves being available for the people she cares about.
“A few husbands have approached me asking to give training on how to ride bikes to their wives. Young girls and boys have also come up to me as being inspired.”, Nimra mentioned with a wide smile on her face.
For many decades, people used to associate bikes with masculinity- an object that only men could own or ride. The idea of women and girls riding bikes was deeply stigmatized. Fast forward to 2025, we see this beautiful sight of girls and older women riding bicycles. We see numerous girls riding bikes at Karachi University, one of Pakistan’s largest educational institutions.
Sehar, who’s a student at the English Literature Department of Karachi University, said, “Being a teacher myself when I reach school for work, I see little girls getting so happy and euphoric to see me on my bike. I see them waving their tiny hands out of excitement; I always make sure to wave them back. To others, this would mean nothing, but to me, this is everything. It feels as if I’ve accomplished something in life; I instantly feel a dose of dopamine running through my body. That experience empowers me the most.”
