Bike Rally in India Spotlights Scarcity of Women
Bike Rally in India Spotlights Scarcity of Women
India's female shortage, say activists, makes the country more dangerous for women. In an effort to raise awareness of female feticide, 100 bikers drove 50 miles on Sunday. Some of the bikers who rode from New Delhi to Rohtak to raise awareness about gender biased sex selection in India.Some of the bikers who rode from New Delhi to Rohtak to raise awareness about gender biased sex selection in India.
Some of the bikers who rode from New Delhi to Rohtak to raise awareness about gender biased sex selection in India.
NEW YORK (WOMENSENEWS)-- Around 100 motorbikers in India rode 50 miles on Sunday, from New Delhi to Rohtak.
The riders were male-dominated; with the The Statesmen reporting about 75 men and 25 women. And that imbalance, while more extreme than in the country overall, was the reason they were riding together. "Fewer girls in society means fewer girls in public spaces," says a statement on the website of Breakthrough India, an organization working to eradicate gender based sex selection that organized the rally. "This makes them appear more unsafe, which further reduced the mobility of girls and women."
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Organizers decided to start in New Delhi because the capital of India has been dubbed the "rape capital" after a series of brutal rape cases garnered high-profile media attention in the past few years. The general scarcity of women, in organizers view, makes public life more dangerous for them.
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Hazaar means "one thousand" in Hindi and the word refers to the figure needed for females to achieve population balance. Currently, the ratio of women to men stands at 914 women for every 1,000 men.
Free Souls Rider, an Indian adventure biking group, collaborated with Breakthrough India for the rally. "I am sure after this rally many other ladies who have been thinking of riding will be inspired to take up riding and sense freedom," Ved Parkash, a male member of the group, wrote in an email Monday. "People were amazed to see lady riders riding efficiently through the streets and highways and their families were equally supportive. This rally will definitely inspire many for future."
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http://womensenews.org/story/the-world/150223/bike-rally-in-india-spotlights-scarcity-women
