Women across the country have been trying to reclaim their equal share of the night space. Slowly but determinedly, they have been asserting their right to gather in public and their mobility at night through various gatherings and wakes.
In the city on Saturday night, some eight cyclists, four of them women, pedalled from Palayam via General Hospital and Chakka to Shanghumughom to claim their right to safety and security in public places. The ride, organised under the aegis of the Indus Cycling Embassy, began around 9.30 p.m. and took two hours.
Two-hour ride
A participant Ashwathi who is preparing for the Civil Services said they saw a lot of people on the way to Shanghumughom, mostly men, and they were very curious about why the group was cycling down roads.
At the beach, there were a lot of families, and it was surprising and positive to see so many women get out at night. The ride also helped build up the confidence that it was safe for women to go out in public places such as roads. The young generation, particularly, should come out at night through various activities, cycling included, she said.
A tribute
On New Year's Eve, a larger group of 20-odd cyclists, majority of them women, of Indus had cycled 45 minutes from Manaveeyam Veedhi to Kowdiar and back from 8.30 p.m. in memory of the Delhi rape victim and seeking an end to atrocities against women. They wanted to tell society that women had an equal right to go out and move around at night without any threats to their safety. The cycling group plans to organise more such events every weekend to increase awareness of the issue and see improved participation.
The group is also planning to cycle to Kadhinamkulam the coming Sunday. The 20-km ride will kick off at 6.30 a.m. At Kadhinamkulam, they plan to do some boating at the lake there, and be back by 10.30 a.m.
