Pedalling towards equity: Exploring women's cycling in a New Zealand city

Abstract

Although the benefits of cycling are well-known, in New Zealand, women cycle much less than men. This qualitative research took a feminist intersectional approach and interviewed 49 women in six focus groups, to explore their experiences as women who knew how to cycle, and wished to cycle more. Participants, who were all based in one city, included two ethnic groups (Māori and non-Māori) and three age groups (adolescents, mothers with children at home, and older women), giving a range over the life-course and including an innovative study of Māori women's cycling. Topics covered included learning to ride as a child, experiences with traffic, topography and other local issues, feelings about cycling and taking an imagined ride. Results revealed the challenge and joys of cycling, what is normal and not normal in cycling, and a double or triple burden affecting women in terms of safety: perceptions of traffic danger; personal safety as women; and the need to be safety-conscious because of responsibilities for others. Differences between Māori and non-Māori arose in context of varying household types, access to bicycles and cultural perspectives on cycling. Participants were clear about how to support women cycling: safe and connected cycling infrastructure, and systems that normalise women's cycling, with national and local government policies to support these.