Women are not allowed to ride bicycles in Iran, let that sink in for a moment.
Women caught riding are fined, punished or worse, attacked by vigilantes. Imagine for a moment you were never given the opportunity to learn and enjoy riding a bike. It’s a tremendous moment of joy and independence when you first take to your two wheels – the hallmark of many North American children’s childhood.
Behnaz Shafiei has her sights set on the stars, not only does she support women riding bicycles, she jumped straight to the motorcycle. For year’s she’s been lobbying for women to be able to get their motorcycle driving license. The film below gives a glimpse into her travels to the USA to work on her skills in hopes to return and continue pushing for women’s rights in Iran.