Introduction of AWBP

ManizhaNaderi January 15, 2015

Afghan Women Bike Project

Arranged by Shahmama

Implemented by Shahmama & Jamal Company in 3 girls schools in Kabul

2008, Kabul

A video reportage of the AWBP in Kabul and the culture of using bicycle in The Netherlands, by Shahmama

Afghan Women’s Bike Project, a short report

AWBP’s first Bike Competition between Girl’s Schools in Kabul, Spring 2009

The importance of use of bicycle in Holland

(March 2018: The idea and purpose of AWBP is welcome by the bold girls of Kabul and some of them are working voluntarily to encourage more girls to use bicycle and make it common and acceptable for the ordinary people of Kabul and they are in touch with Shahmama Foundation for getting more guidance and advice.)

To prepare a better life opportunity for Afghans, they need to have an easy and possible transportation facility. Girls and women who make more than half present of the population of the country, are not able to use at least one of the possible transportation facilities. In some of Islamic countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Muslim countries in the Middle East, African countries and in the Muslim communities in western countries, girls and women are using bicycle as transportation means. Afghan Social Development Foundation “Shahmoama” (in Netherlands) want to prepare the opportunity for Afghan girls and women in Kabul and encourage them to use bicycle in their daily lives. We are glad that through implementing this project, we would make our Afghan sisters able to use one of the most possible and convenient transportation means so we can bring a positive change in their daily lives and they will become independent. The importance of Afghan Women Bike Project: Due to nearly three decades of war in Afghanistan women and girls have been the main victims in this country. Through our project, we want to help them to support themselves. We want to encourage them to use bicycle for going to school, work, shopping and anywhere they need to reach in the city. Some 15 years ago in Kabul, there were few girls and women who used to use bicycles. Later the practice was totally banned. Now that the situation has changed and girls are going to school and women are working in offices, it is possible to encourage them to be self-sufficient in daily life. The first step can be providing them with the opportunity for outgoing in a safer and easy way. Mostly people there are using buses and cars for going from one place to another. As a result transportation has become increasingly difficult in small cities with insufficient infra-structure. It takes hours to go from reach the intended destination.

Besides, people are not able to pay for the transportation costs and according to the information, women are walking very long distances from small villages and cities for hours to bring their children to the doctor or go for shopping.

Besides, due to the increase of cars and transportations that makes pollution, the weather of Kabul is getting worse and causes diseases, especially for the children. Through our project, we would like to encourage people not to pollute the environment. One of the reasons that women and girls are not used to use bicycle is that in Afghanistan, lady-bikes were never imported and girls or women can not use other man-type bicycles. Through this project, we import lady-bike with special saddle and we produce child safety seat, special bag for the bicycle, basket and other necessary equipments for the bicycle.