Female empowerment on wheels in Kenya

DW (English)

When you think of bikers, you might picture tattooed men clad in black leather. But in Nairobi, members of the Inked Sisterhood are breaking this mold. The bikers are changing perceptions, and making a difference!

Transcript

00:00What drives women to ride?

00:04Is it the thrill of the open road?

00:06The hum of the engine beneath them?

00:10Or the sense of freedom that only two wheels can offer?

00:14Meet the Inked Sisterhood, a group of women breaking barriers and creating change in Nairobi,

00:19in a world where speed and steel are often seen as a man's game.

00:23How did these women carve out a space uniquely their own?

00:27I started riding in 2018.

00:30I just had a baby in 2016 actually and I felt like I needed to rejuvenate my life.

00:38Founded in 2016 and officially incorporated in 2021,

00:43the Inked Sisterhood Association, ISH,

00:46began as a response to the growing number of women motorcyclists who sought a supportive

00:51environment where they could enhance their riding abilities and road safety awareness.

00:57But what challenges have they faced?

00:59One of the challenges that we face as women is finding suitable gear for the ladies form.

01:04The second thing is a challenge on the road is motorists and recognizing riders on the road,

01:11not just commercial but also the private ones.

01:13The group's name was inspired by the Inked Biker Training School in Nairobi.

01:18What fuels these women and what impact are they making beyond the helmets and handlebars?

01:25One of the biggest misconceptions when I started riding was,

01:29how does a lady ride?

01:30Like, who has given you permission?

01:33You need this exceptional permission for you to be a lady biker.

01:37So when I joined Inked Sisterhood, I found this community of very supportive women

01:42who had all, some of them had gone through the same challenges,

01:46some of them had gone through different challenges.

01:48But one thing that stood out was that they were there for each other

01:51and I became part of that community.

01:53So apart from riding, Inked Sisterhood stands for,

01:56we have three pillars.

01:58We stand for road safety, training of our members

02:02and enhancement of skills within the group.

02:07Inked Sisterhood's influence goes beyond the motorcycling

02:10with a strong focus on social impact.

02:13Ish has partnered with Beyond Water to support the Girl Project

02:17in the Kiserian and Kibera chapters,

02:19providing mentorship, essential supplies and scholarships

02:23for girls facing challenges such as poverty, early childhood marriages,

02:28female genital mutilation, FGM and domestic violence.

02:32So the Girl Project is one of our projects,

02:36we thought about like giving back to the society.

02:39So we felt like as women, when we ride out there

02:43and go to different communities,

02:45the girls and young women are always so intrigued

02:48and wonder like how is it possible for a lady

02:51to be on such a big motorcycle, riding to so many different places.

02:55So from that admiration, we thought we should find a group of ladies

02:59or a group of young girls that we can be able to mentor

03:02and just show them that there's a brighter future ahead.

03:05But how does the experience of riding with other women differ

03:08from riding alone or with mixed gender groups?

03:12Being in the Inked Sisterhood, I've come to learn

03:13that there's a very big difference between riding alone,

03:17riding in a group and one thing is when you find like they are,

03:23it's a mixed group where there are men and women.

03:26Sometimes the men are supportive

03:27and will like kind of protect the women in the group

03:30but sometimes they are reckless and that puts you at danger.

03:34New members when they join Inked Sisterhood,

03:36we always have that first we welcome them to the group,

03:39we encourage them first to ride a little bit on their own

03:42and if they want company to get a ride around the city,

03:46gain their confidence, we also provide that as well.

03:49So as role models in the community,

03:52we have to find a balance between the thrill of motorcycling

03:56and being good advocates for the people who are looking up to us.

04:01So I think through Inked Sisterhood, we do different trainings.

04:05We have the off-road training, we do different life skill training as well.

04:11So that helps us find our balance and also following road rules obviously

04:19because when you're on the road, people are looking at you,

04:22sometimes we wear branded merchandise

04:25so you can clearly define and say that is a lady from Inked Sisterhood.

04:30But what motivates these women to ride

04:32and what does being on the road mean to them?

04:35So what drove me to ride was it was during COVID

04:38and it's been a bucket list item because I have four elder brothers

04:42of which one is actually a motorcyclist

04:45and I think also just growing around boys,

04:48you end up knowing about cars, motorbikes

04:50and so part of it was they led me into that interest.

04:55The passion for motorcycling drives me to ride.

04:57The passion for being a lady who represents something different,

05:03something unique that also drives me to ride.

05:06Being on the open roads for me is a sense of freedom,

05:10a sense of connection with God

05:13and mostly it's just about doing something that really empowers me as an individual

05:22and also a chance to meet other people who enjoy the same thing.

05:26Being on a motorcycle has helped me go to places that I've never thought I would ever go to,

05:31that I would ever reach.

05:32I mean I've been to Moyale, I've been to Amboseli on a bike

05:37so just the thrill and the excitement of going that far is very exciting.

05:43Inked Sisterhood, the non-political, non-sectarian group currently has 82 female riders

05:49and as their wheels continue to turn so too does their impact,

05:54reaching far beyond the road and into the hearts of those they inspire.

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