Daring To Ride A Bike And 5 Other Ways Women Are Changing The World

A bicycle is a great way to get around. In Pakistan, it's also a symbol of liberation for women. The story of Zulekha Dawood's bicycling club is one of many from our blog that we're highlighting for International Women's Day — dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in all arenas: social, economic, cultural, political and personal.

To highlight the March 8 commemoration, here are some of the remarkable women and women's movements we've covered over the past year.

The women who dare to bicycle in Pakistan

Zulekha Dawood organizes a weekly bike ride for women and girls in Karachi. She had previously run a girls boxing club and saw some boys on bikes nearby. "If they can ride," Dawood thought, "why shouldn't we?"

It is a rare endeavor in conservative Pakistan, where few women dare to cycle. It is seen as a vulgar and sexlike act because a woman must straddle a seat.

There's been pushback. Male students at a madrassa once confronted them. "They were kicking the girls," she recalled, and she heard them shout, "Why don't your brothers stop you? Cover yourself and go pray! Go home!"