For many Khartoum residents, this is an eye-boggling experience. A group of young ladies are seen these days parading in bicycles around Khartoum not weary about the unpaved roads and the gaze of the bystanders. The ladies were actually using this untraditional way in Sudan to publicize women sport and use of environmentally friendly transport, as only a very few could swear to have witnessed women on bicycles.

The group said their initiative started back in 2016 and has been able to involve more and more members and gain acceptance in the society which could barely reconcile with the idea of women riding a bike in broad daylight.

 

The young ladies also wanted to raise awareness about the importance of women participation in the development of the society and breaking the stereotype of women roles particularly. That would be in line with the huge participation of women in bringing change and in participating within the executive to see this change through.

There were nevertheless precedents in Sudanese women struggle history to break the taboos. Back in the 1930s a notable Sudanese midwife cum nurse Batool Eisa was pinned in history as the first Sudanese woman to be seen riding a bicycle in discharging her mission and visitation to families and women in labour. Almost a century now, 1920-2019, what started as a taboo is moving towards becoming normalcy, change is not offered, it is snatched.