Green initiative: NGO gifts 500 cycles to deserving women

Rachana Ramesh

Bengaluru

Greenpeace India, an environmental campaign organisation, has provided 500 bicycles to low-wage women labourers in Bengaluru and Delhi as part of its Power the Pedal campaign. This has resulted in proud women cyclists determined to reclaim urban spaces that have been systematically denied to them. Rajamma, who works at Gokul Das located in Peenya, lives three kilometres away from her workplace. Before she was provided with the cycle, everyday commute through walk was a hassle. “I had to leave my kid to school and then rush to work, all by walking. Thanks to the cycle, my travel time has significantly decreased,” she said. Along with this, Rajamma has a side job of delivering milk early in the morning to make extra earnings. When her husband is not in town, she has to carry heavy bottles of drinking water. “The weight of the water container is now carried by my cycle. I also take milk packets in my cycle carrier,” she said, adding that it is now her support system. “We poor working women cannot afford motorised vehicles. The meagre income we get is spent on monthly rent and sustaining our families. The cycle has become our weapon,” Rajamma said. Over the past year, Green[1]peace has worked with different communities to test and design bicycles that best suit their needs. Based on the feedback given by the women over several weeks, it collaborated with Hero Cycles, the resultant of which has been the one[1]of-its-kind geared bicycle in the country, which has been designed to accommodate the attire and needs of Indian women. “None of the cycles in the market are built to accommodate the attire of an Indian woman. No one can wear a saree or a skirt and cycle. You either have to be in full gear or must have pants on,” said Nischita Verrendra from Greenpeace, adding that the rod in between is the puzzle. “Our custom design has the rod lowered, so that women who choose to wear a saree can also cycle,” she said. Apart from the modifications in design, along with its allies, Greenpeace also holds regular workshops to train the women in using and maintaining the cycles. Geetha, a garment worker, said it fits into her the budget of her limited income earned by making flower garlands. “I cycle and bring one kg flowers home and make the garlands,” she said. However, Geetha complained of the poor cycling infrastructure. “I don’t take the cycle out during rains or during peak hours due to the difficult conditions. It is pretty much impossible to ride then,” she said. By building a diverse community of cycling ambassadors, the campaign aims to show that the current mobility infrastructure only serves car-centric needs. The goal, on the other hand, is to go beyond seeking cycle lanes in the city and demand a structural shift in the way a citizen’s mobility needs are met. Through the campaign, Greenpeace is also bringing the issue of gender equity in mobility to discussion. It highlights how vulnerable communities are systematically kept out of public spaces, which pushes away the idea of sustainable cities. “The women of Power the Pedal are making a case for all these communities, who have the right to equal access to public facilities that help them earn, work, study, travel and live their lives,” Greenpeace said in a statement. Safe, accessible, affordable and efficient transport systems that integrate mass transit networks with pedestrian and cycle friendly infrastructure will positively impact the participation of women as a workforce