Thousands call for women’s freedom to cycle in London

Nearly a thousand women joined a ride around Central London for London Cycling Campaign’s annual Women’s Freedom Ride on Sunday, March 3, ahead of International Women’s Day, calling on the Mayor, Metropolitan Police and London councils to make cycling safe for women in London.

The event began with the handover of a petition of more than 5,000 signatures to the Mayor’s walking and cycling commissioner, Will Norman.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, afterwards, Dr Norman said: “It was a privilege to join 100s of women from across London at #womensfreedomride and to receive their petition demanding action. I reaffirmed Mayor of London’s and my commitment to work with boroughs and Met Police to do more to make our streets safer for women and girls.”

Nine out of 10 women in London who cycle have experienced abuse or aggression. For more than six out of 10 this happens at least once a month, according to the LCC Women’s Network report “What Stops Women Cycling in London?” published in January.

This survey of more than 1,000 women also found that 93% of respondents had experienced drivers using their vehicles to intimidate them.

Eilidh Murray, coordinator of the LCC Women’s Network, said: “Cycling is such a joyous, healthy and freeing mode of transport in London for so many women.

“But it’s also far too frequently where women face gendered abuse and aggressive driving and they’re impacted by not only a lack of safe cycle routes but often a choice between hostile main roads or isolated parks and industrial estates for their cycle routes after dark and in winter.

“Freeing women to cycle in London will mean making big steps against misogyny and sexism in our capital and its transport networks.”

The LCC Women’s Network is calling on the Mayor, the Metropolitan Police and local councils to act now to address issues of physical safety, including lack of protected cycle routes, social safety, including the lack of police reporting on gendered abuse women face while cycling, and enabling cycling locally, where women undertake the majority of journeys.

Menekse Ayrilmaz, co-founder of Londra Bisiklet Kulübü, said, “March 3 saw women of all abilities and creeds cycling the streets of central London and bringing joy to them. Women should be free to cycle our city every day without fear or abuse.

“The Freedom Ride is not only a great fun ride for the cycling sisterhood of London, it’s also making a serious point that there are far too few days where most of these women will feel comfortable cycling on our streets.”

The LCC Women’s Freedom Ride followed a circuit of central London, including Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and The Mall.

The ride leader was Mariam Draaijer, CEO of JoyRiders UK, and the vast majority of the ride marshals were women.

The ride was organised by the LCC Women’s Network with community partners JoyRiders and Londra Bisiklet Kulübü.

LCC borough groups and partners from all over London organised led, marshalled feeder rides to join the main ride.

Mariam Draaijer, CEO of JoyRiders UK, concluded: “Nearly every woman you see cycling in London has faced abuse just for getting about on a bike (or trike). We get heckled for taking our kids in cargo bikes, we are abused racially, far too many of us have even been assaulted while cycling.

“We’re body shamed and made to feel that we have no place on London’s roads. We need urgent action to ensure any and every woman who wants to cycle in London has the freedom to do so. That means more focus on the barriers from our Mayor, and in particular the Metropolitan Police.”