There has been a huge increase in bicycling around the world during the pandemic. In Pakistan, women and girls are riding bicycles in larger numbers than ever before. Traditional cultural norms have resulted in frequent harassment of Pakistani women who ride bicycles. The pandemic, however, has brought changes that have opened the door for more women and girls to enjoy the excitement and freedom of traveling by bike. Listen to learn why conditions during the pandemic have made it safer for Pakistani women to ride bikes, and why the cultural change may persist even after the health crisis ends.
Story Length: 3:19
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October 4, 2019
7:24
Cycling deaths are on the rise throughout the country. As more cyclists take to roads already crowded with cars, accidents are increasing. One cause may be older urban streets designed for horses, not cars and bicycles. The attitude of drivers unwilling to share the road with cyclists could also be to blame. In some states, laws that increase penalties for drivers who hit cyclists are under consideration. Listen to hear experts describe the upward trend in cycling deaths and how the problem might be addressed, and then debate: Should more be done to keep cyclists safe?
Read MoreApril 4, 2018
3:39
Since 1985, women in Iran have been required by the Islamic Republic to wear a headscarf called a hijab in public, regardless of their religious beliefs. Today Iranian women are protesting this mandatory law. Police have arrested 29 women for publicly protesting the veil covering. This silent protest includes women taking off their headscarves and holding them on sticks in silent protest. Listen to hear more about this protest and its effects.
Read MoreAugust 17, 2017
5:01
The youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize is 20-year old Malala Youzafzai, a Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for going to school, has campaigned tirelessly for girls’ rights to education. Youzafzai recently finished high school in England and is looking forward to not only continuing her own education, but ensuring access to education for girls in regions of the Middle East that are undergoing political and societal chaos. Listen to learn more about her struggle to stay optimistic in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Read MoreOctober 25, 2013
4:25
In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, activists are challenging the ban on women driving by taking the wheel and documenting their protests by video. Madiha Al Ajroush, a longtime advocate of women driving, compares the inability to drive like cutting one's legs off and taking the wheelchair away. This is not the first attempt to challenge the ban. There were two previous attempts in 1990 and 2011. Use this story to talk to your students about the struggle for women's rights on a global scale and how that compares to rights women currently have in the United States.
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