Eliana González has a packed morning as she prepares to drop her son off at school and run errands for groceries. Her preferred mode of transportation in Bogotá is a vibrant cargo bike, which has been modified to accommodate her two children and occasionally her dog.
“My cargo bike allows me to transport my children safely and comfortably while also being environmentally friendly,” she explains.
Bogotá, a bustling city of 10 million residents, is celebrated as a leading example of cycling success, with nearly 900,000 bike trips made daily—more than any other city in Latin America.
City officials are now aiming for another significant achievement: reaching gender equality in cycling by the year 2039. According to the latest mobility survey, women represented only 28% of Bogotá’s daily bicycle trips in 2023. “Our objective is to shift from a nearly 30-70 male-female ratio to a balanced 50-50 split,” states Claudia Díaz, the secretary of mobility for Bogotá.
Bridging the gender gap not only promotes inclusivity but also has positive environmental implications. Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Bogotá, and officials believe that increasing the number of female cyclists could aid the city’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Experts assert that achieving gender equality is crucial for cities to fully benefit from investments in sustainable transportation, which can lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality, and less traffic congestion.
Encouraging more women to cycle remains a challenge, particularly in the global south, according to Yanocha. In numerous cities where her organization operates, women represent a small percentage of cyclists, often less than 10% of daily bike trips.
In 2021, Bogotá implemented a pioneering cycling policy that incorporates a gender perspective, the first of its kind in Colombia. Researchers from C40 Cities Finance Facility, a program aimed at assisting cities with climate infrastructure projects, examined the reasons behind the lower cycling rates among women compared to men in Bogotá.
They identified several obstacles: approximately 60% of women surveyed expressed concerns about theft or assault when cycling, 40% feared collisions with vehicles, and nearly one-third admitted they had never learned to ride a bike.
In response to safety issues, officials have been expanding the number of cycling lanes, as studies show that such improvements can enhance feelings of safety among female cyclists. Bogotá’s network of protected bike lanes, the largest in Latin America, now stretches over 425 miles (683.9 km), according to the city council.
The city is also working on repairing damaged lanes, installing lighting, enhancing connectivity, and increasing police presence along busy cycling routes. “By improving infrastructure, we can make cycling a more viable choice for women,” Díaz emphasizes.
For many women, however, the most significant challenge is simply the lack of experience in riding a bicycle. Sergio Prieto oversees Bogotá’s Bike School, a city initiative that teaches cycling to about 40,000 residents annually, with around 80% of the participants being women.
In 2018, González founded Mamacitas en Bici, a program aimed at promoting cycling among mothers. Her initiative addresses an often overlooked reality: many women in Bogotá primarily travel for caregiving purposes, such as taking their children to school, as highlighted in a recent study.
However, caregivers often face criticism for choosing to cycle, González notes. When she initially began riding with her baby, she was met with disapproving remarks from strangers, who labeled her as irresponsible. Instead of being deterred, she fostered a community, assisting mothers in modifying their bikes for safe child transport, organizing family group rides, and teaching women and children how to cycle.
González encourages women to embrace cycling not only for its social advantages, like greater independence and enhanced health, but also as a means to contribute to shaping the city she envisions for herself and her children.
