On Two Wheels to Empowerment

A new reality has arrived for the women in rural Tanzania

Mariam and Germana are in a unique situation in Tanzania because they own bikes (image by author)

I spent decades working in the international aid sector. Specifically, I was engaged in women’s empowerment in Nepal, where we did a lot of grassroots-level work. But most of our efforts for rural women seemed to focus on the same initiatives as all the other organizations, such as training women in tailoring or teaching them how to make extra income by selling “food to go” on the roadside.

While these were undoubtedly valuable efforts, they have never truly touched my heart.

I didn’t know what I was after until I stumbled across an idea of how women’s empowerment could possibly happen on two wheels.

A dusty roadside encounter sparked a vision

Since I began riding, I have been inspired by the notion that women should experience the incredible sense of independence that comes with it. But I knew it’s not always a matter of choice but rather a lack of access that prevents most women from realizing this possibility.

Three years ago, something happened.

I bumped into a young Tanzanian motorbike enthusiast in Rundugai, situated at the foothills of Kilimanjaro. Dressed in a floral robe and yellow plastic flip-flops, she…