She Cycling Rolls into Vattiyoorkavu: Empowering Women Through Pedals and Public Spaces

Thiruvananthapuram: The She Cycling initiative, which offers free bicycle training for women and girls, has officially started in Vattiyoorkavu. Training sessions take place on the newly renovated Kavadiaar Pipeline Road, now featuring a dedicated cycle track. The program was launched by V.K. Prasanth, MLA, and aims to make cycling an accessible and empowering skill for women of all ages.

Training runs from Monday to Friday, between 4:30 PM and 6 PM, as part of a broader urban beautification effort funded by KIIFB (Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board). The improved area includes landscaping, a children’s park, flower gardens, designated parking slots, and a yoga space. These updates are part of the city’s goal to create inclusive and safe public spaces.

In the launch event several civic leaders and public figures were present. Participants included Councillor Shyam Kumar, actor Joby, and representatives from the Indus Cycling Embassy (ICE) such as Prakash P. Gopinath and M.A. Zeenath.

Though the Vattiyoorkavu launch is new, She Cycling is not a recent idea. It began in October 2022 in Kochi. The initiative has grown into a state-wide campaign. The mission of She Cycling is to achieve 50% bicycle literacy among Indian women by 2030. Since starting, She Cycling has held sessions in over 10 locations across Kerala, training more than 560 women and girls, many of whom had never ridden a bicycle before. Participants include school-age girls and women in their 60s, some learning to cycle for the first time.

For many participants, the experience is deeply personal. Lack of cycling infrastructure, societal discouragement, and limited chances had long denied them a basic but freeing skill. The initiative is intentionally low-barrier—there are no fees and no prior experience is required. “If you can walk, you can cycle,” is a saying often shared by trainers.

In Kochi and other cities, She Cycling has also held symbolic rides like “Freedom Night Rides,” where women cycle together through the streets at night. This challenges gendered ideas about who belongs in public spaces and when.

The Pipeline Road in Vattiyoorkavu area was once neglected, the area is now being transformed into a multi-use, inclusive urban zone. With added facilities like parks and yoga areas, the road aims to become a model for how infrastructure can support active, gender-inclusive lifestyles.