Dozens of women across major cities of Pakistan participated in the third annual bike rally by Girls at Dhabas on Sunday.
The all-women rally, an initiative aimed at collectively asserting a woman’s right to reclaim public spaces, was held in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.
In Lahore, the rally started from Siddique Trade Centre and saw celebrities, including Meesha Shafi and Zara Peerzada, join in. While in Karachi, the rally started from Tariq Road and from Haunted Hill in Islamabad.
Many women cycled with posters reading, “Ride your bike and put pressure on patriarchy”, “Our roads, our city” and placards asking men to not stare.
The women who did not own bicycles were provided them on rent.
The bike rally was first started two years ago in support of Aneeqa Ali, a cyclist in Lahore who was harassed, hit and injured by men in a car for riding her bike.
The incident had triggered a debate and urged women to reclaim public spaces and fight for their right to cycle on the streets of their cities.
Actor and singer Meesha Shafi took to Twitter after the rally and said, “Supremely liberating experience to bike on the Main Boulevard, MM Alam Road and Liberty Market today with an army of #girlsonbikes #reclaimpublicspaces kudos to girlsatdhabas for the third annual rally!”
Another Twitter user who goes by the name Disco Spider said, “Words cannot begin to explain how I feel. All I will say is that the sisterhood is strong and may we prosper!”
“Loved taking on Isb streets on wheels with girlsatdhabas for third women bike rally. It did give my muscles a run for money biking after so long but not going to stop now!” Zunaira Ali said.