Taking the wheel: University helps women put a brake on mobility barriers
The UAF is planning to distribute 250 bicycles among its students in the next three months.
The UAF is planning to distribute 250 bicycles among its students in the next three months. DESIGN BY HIRA FAREED
FAISALABAD:
Women riding bicycles anywhere in the world could be the most commonplace sight but here in Pakistan, it is likely to raise eyebrows. This taboo is becoming increasingly redundant in the 21st century. That is one of the reasons why the University of Agriculture Faisalabad’s administration felt it was important to encourage its female students to ride bicycles and overcome their mobility issues, UAF Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan says.
Last year, the UAF gave 100 bicycles to girls studying at the UAF. The administration is planning to give another 250 bicycles to students in the next three months.
150 women participate in motorcycle rally on The Mall
“Travelling between departments across campus is a tedious task for many girls,” Khan says. UAF students are required to travel extensively between classrooms and agricultural labs and fields for practical work, he says.
This initiative was a part of several efforts the university has made to narrow the gender gap, Khan says. “We have to empower female students and prepare them to tackle challenges of the modern world.” He says the university has also provided improved sports and recreational facilities for women.
A few years ago the UAF had only 40 female faculty members. “We brought that up to 150 female faculty members,” Khan says.
The gender ratio of students in the postgraduate programme is 50 per cent at present. Similarly, he says, the university has added a day care centre, a hostel for working women, a counselling centre, a career development centre, a financial aid office and a quality enhancement cell to cater to women.
‘Like men do’
It is quite the norm to see female students whizz past on the UAF campus and in the fields and markets surrounding the university. Nageen Farooq, one of the few students who received a bicycle from the university, says riding a bicycle has not only helped her overcome mobility issues but has also given her the confidence to travel freely, “like men do”.
There was a time when women were just not supposed to ride vehicles, she says. “There’s no stopping us now…now we drive car and bicycles…this is an indicator of our presence in the public sphere and a growing role in the country’s economic sector.”
Women on wheels: Motorbike rally planned for today
Riding her bicycle, Ayesha Liaquat waves from afar. “This has helped change my perceptions of men and women…I used to mull over what made us different and why we are treated differently.”
She says the UAF’s initiatives to bridge the gap between genders have been fundamental in answering a lot her questions. “We are at par with men in every sphere of life.”Samia Rehman says she was sick of asking her father and brother to drive her to classes.
“It was hard for them to manage their schedules around mine and being dependent on them this way was embarrassing for me.” Rehman says she had decided one day that enough was enough and gone and got a bicycle. “No one harasses us and this has removed a load of pressure off…I move freely all over campus and do not have to feel guilty about inconveniencing male members of my family.”
Chief Hall Warden Prof Dr Amjad Aulakh says rather than creating any problems, the initiative has actually helped allay fears. “Our female students are not dependent on male members of their families or their friends…they have the confidence to take the wheel and pedal to wherever they need to be.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th, 2016.
Women riding bicycles anywhere in the world could be the most commonplace sight but here in Pakistan, it is likely to raise eyebrows. This taboo is becoming increasingly redundant in the 21st century. That is one of the reasons why the University of Agriculture Faisalabad’s administration felt it was important to encourage its female students to ride bicycles and overcome their mobility issues, UAF Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan says.
Last year, the UAF gave 100 bicycles to girls studying at the UAF. The administration is planning to give another 250 bicycles to students in the next three months.
150 women participate in motorcycle rally on The Mall
“Travelling between departments across campus is a tedious task for many girls,” Khan says. UAF students are required to travel extensively between classrooms and agricultural labs and fields for practical work, he says.
This initiative was a part of several efforts the university has made to narrow the gender gap, Khan says. “We have to empower female students and prepare them to tackle challenges of the modern world.” He says the university has also provided improved sports and recreational facilities for women.
A few years ago the UAF had only 40 female faculty members. “We brought that up to 150 female faculty members,” Khan says.
The gender ratio of students in the postgraduate programme is 50 per cent at present. Similarly, he says, the university has added a day care centre, a hostel for working women, a counselling centre, a career development centre, a financial aid office and a quality enhancement cell to cater to women.
‘Like men do’
It is quite the norm to see female students whizz past on the UAF campus and in the fields and markets surrounding the university. Nageen Farooq, one of the few students who received a bicycle from the university, says riding a bicycle has not only helped her overcome mobility issues but has also given her the confidence to travel freely, “like men do”.
There was a time when women were just not supposed to ride vehicles, she says. “There’s no stopping us now…now we drive car and bicycles…this is an indicator of our presence in the public sphere and a growing role in the country’s economic sector.”
Women on wheels: Motorbike rally planned for today
Riding her bicycle, Ayesha Liaquat waves from afar. “This has helped change my perceptions of men and women…I used to mull over what made us different and why we are treated differently.”
She says the UAF’s initiatives to bridge the gap between genders have been fundamental in answering a lot her questions. “We are at par with men in every sphere of life.”Samia Rehman says she was sick of asking her father and brother to drive her to classes.
“It was hard for them to manage their schedules around mine and being dependent on them this way was embarrassing for me.” Rehman says she had decided one day that enough was enough and gone and got a bicycle. “No one harasses us and this has removed a load of pressure off…I move freely all over campus and do not have to feel guilty about inconveniencing male members of my family.”
Chief Hall Warden Prof Dr Amjad Aulakh says rather than creating any problems, the initiative has actually helped allay fears. “Our female students are not dependent on male members of their families or their friends…they have the confidence to take the wheel and pedal to wherever they need to be.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th, 2016.