Men do nearly three times as many cycling journeys as women, and travel more than four times as far. What makes the Irish roads so hostile towards women on bikes? Why are we lagging so far behind our European neighbors in gender parity?
Not only do the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany have high and growing levels of cycling, but their cyclists comprise virtually all segments of society. Women are just as likely to cycle as men, making 45% of all bike trips in Denmark, 49% in Germany, and 55% in the Netherlands. While cycling is gender-neutral in those three countries, men dominate cycling in Ireland, where they make up 80% of the cycling Ireland membership.
Female membership in Cycling Ireland has grown significantly in the past 10 years, from 400 in 2008 to over 5,000 in 2018. In percentage terms, females account for 20% of the total membership which compares to 8% in 2008.
A consistent trend within the female membership over the past four years has been 90% of female members over the age of 18 are leisure cyclists with 10% of the female membership cycling competitively. This trend is further supported by the Irish Sport Monitor 2017 where a particular preference to leisure/recreational cycling amongst females has also been observed. In Ireland the 20×20 campaign is striving to create a cultural shift in our perception of girls and women in sport.
‘By increasing visibility of women’s sport, it will become a greater part of who we are and what we follow. There is already so much to celebrate when it comes to women’s sport in Ireland, but there isn’t enough noise. The initiative seeks to change the subliminal bias in the Irish psyche that exists around girls and boys, or women and men, when it comes to sport. The name of the initiative is shorthand for 20% by 2020, these are the targets that have been set:
- 20% more media coverage of women in sport by the end of 2020
- 20% more female participation whether at player, coach, referee or administration level by the end of 2020
- 20% more attendance at women’s games and events by the end of 2020
This isn’t a ‘women for women’ initiative, it’s ‘all of society for all of society’. If sport is good, which we know it to be, then more sport is better. If we all play, we all win’.
Back to cycling, what can we as a cycling club and community do, to encourage more women and girls to cycle….
The elephant in the room is the lack of cycling infrastructure in this country compared to our EU counterparts. This will take years to put in place but we need to be active in lobbying our local councils and governments to take action on this!
We can encourage all women to gain confidence in cycling by showing how easily available cycling training is. Run group events and training days at bike shops and in local parks and other off-road venues. Attach beginner cycle training to all-women mass-participation to encourage those not already on bikes to take their first steps – or pedals.
The easiest way to achieve all the above…. Support the 20×20 campaign and show more women cycling. Make champions of all women on bikes. Yes, that includes top-level athletes, but it also includes the woman on her bike in the street, at the sportive, the velodrome, or on a recreational cycle ride, or doing the commute.
It includes the fashionista wearing her designer helmet as much as it includes the mud-spattered mountain biker, the Lycra-loving roadie and the everyday commuter with her bike bags stuffed full of work gear, towel and change of clothes. The cycling community, cycling organisations, manufacturers, and the media can all empower women to embrace bicycles.
On the 21st of September the Women of Tallaght Wheelers will take to the roads in a female only cycle… We will proudly show our strips and help to pave the way for women in cycling…
It our girls can’t see us they can’t be us!
For more information email about the “Tallaght Wheelers Mna Show Your Stripes Women’s Spin” please Click HERE
