The Pakistani woman changing the face of motorcycle racing

DW (English)

Faryal Ashraf wants to become Pakistan's first woman sports bike racer. Can she overcome obstacles from Pakistan's male-dominated motorbike community? She’s already an inspiration for women on social media.

Transcript

00:00Farial Ashraf wants to become Pakistan's first-ever female sports bike racer.

00:10But in a conservative society, she faces many obstacles.

00:14Still, she's determined to challenge and break these outdated traditions.

00:20Whenever I ride my bike into a community,

00:24most of the men behave in a lustful way,

00:27which creates a negative atmosphere.

00:31They often say, you're just a girl, what can you do?

00:34Let's race and see what you're capable of.

00:38But I face all these challenges head-on.

00:42Inspired by the racing bikes of MotoGP

00:45and the high-octane scenes of Hollywood films,

00:48Farial dreamed of becoming Pakistan's first sports bike racer.

00:52Dreaming was easy, but buying a sports bike and taking it out on the road was nothing short of a battle.

00:59According to Farial, in a society where women riding bikes is already seen as surprising,

01:04riding a sports bike is viewed as an act of rebellion against a deeply patriarchal culture.

01:11But despite all the obstacles, she remains determined to turn her dream into reality.

01:20When I bought my bike, I went online and found that countries like India, Iran and Malaysia,

01:26places similar to Pakistan in many ways, have women who ride sports bikes and proudly represent their nations.

01:33But I couldn't find anyone like that here.

01:37I've always had a deep passion for owning a heavy bike and racing it.

01:41Now my goal is to enter the world of racing and be known as Pakistan's first female sports bike racer.

01:49According to Farial, biker communities in Pakistan are not welcoming to women.

01:54She says that whenever she tried to be part of one, she was made to feel weak and unwelcome.

02:01Sarcasm, mockery and judgmental stares were meant to break her spirit.

02:06And she never felt truly safe in those spaces.

02:13I no longer feel comfortable in those communities. Even at biking events, I often feel out of place.

02:21Many girls hesitate to join because of this. I want to move forward in a way that feels safer for me.

02:29Disheartened by all this, Farial turned to social media, especially Instagram.

02:35She realized that while the real world often ignored her, social media could be her source of strength.

02:42In a short time, she's become a role model for women's sports bike riders,

02:48receiving dozens of Instagram messages from girls inspired by her journey.

02:59When I started riding, women would ask how I do it and if I could teach them.

03:04That's when I realized I should use social media to inspire more girls.

03:08Now I get messages saying, please teach us, we feel inspired by you.

03:15After seeing the response from women on social media, Farial began training them to ride motorcycles.

03:21She now teaches practical riding at various spots in Lahore.

03:27Her goal is to help more women break outdated norms and make their mark in society alongside men.

03:35I saw Farial riding to school while I was stuck in a van.

03:45So I asked her to teach me.

03:47I want to do my own tasks without relying on others.

03:51We still face harassment and comments when we go out, but it's 2025.

03:56It's time for women to lead the change.

03:58Bike racing is illegal in Pakistan, which makes it hard for both women and men to pursue the sport.

04:07Still, some young people take the risk, often putting themselves in danger and causing accidents.

04:13I'll wait another year or two and push to make racing legal here, so that men can also take part in it.

04:20But if that doesn't happen, I'll move to Germany.

04:23Riding my bike on the Autobahn has always been my dream.

04:26Farial is a role model for women everywhere.

04:33Her spirit reminds us that no matter where you come from, women can stand shoulder to shoulder with men.

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