Girls in northern Egypt have launched a bike-riding campaign in protest against widespread intolerance towards female cyclists.
Their first event was a mass bike ride in the coastal city that attracted both male and female cyclists. "We want to show that there is no difference between boys and girls,"
The initiative has attracted support from women's rights group Kahilah. Its founder, Enas al-Maasarawy, says hundreds of young people got on their bikes for the event. "There was a great turnout. We think it is the beginning of a change," she told
There was plenty of praise on the event's Facebook page, where one of the girls taking part said they were united around one goal: "To make the society believe that riding bikes is normal, and there is nothing shameful about it."
There has been widespread concern over women's rights in Egypt in recent years after a spike in sexual harassment and violence against women following the country's 2011 revolution. New punishments were introduced for offenders in 2014, including jail terms of up to five years.
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