On May 7, 2010, women everywhere are encouraged to celebrate International Female Ride Day, a global event put on by Motoress. This campaign evolved as a means of building awareness for female motorcyclists, and to empower and encourage them to pursue this engaging pastime. Betty van der Veen, communications assistant for Motoress, was kind enough to answer our questions about this meaningful endeavour.
How did this tradition get started?
It was the brainchild of Vicki Gray, the director and founder of Motoress. She felt (the need) to highlight the huge number of women riders that existed, and also to demonstrate their diversity. This would underline the fact that women riders are a strong group and the activity is enjoyed by all ages/types of women. Furthermore, by encouraging countries and various cultures around the world to join in on the same day, it underlined the fact that women around the world shared this passion for motorcycling. Granted some cultures have more challenges than ours in North America. By celebrating women riders, having their numbers out on the road—especially on this one day—would demonstrate to other women how easy and enjoyable motorcycling is. Each woman riding on Female Ride Day is a role model. She plays a key role, (whether) riding alone, or with friends.
Please tell me a bit about your own experience with International Female Ride Day.
Vicki expressed…a most overwhelming feeling, particularly when the photos started to arrive just after the first Female Ride Day in 2007. She observed with each image a strong, enthusiastic woman, depicted with her friends or just her motorcycle, beaming with happiness. “This is what it's all about,” she said, “the pleasure, the pride, the ownership.” Each woman also included a comment with the photo submission form, detailing their passion for riding and for the invention of such a great day just for women. Vicki said she became quite emotional in reviewing the terrific (togetherness) of women riders the campaign created. This was all about the women—not about what they rode, where they rode or how. Another fun part of the evolution of this campaign was the first time we needed to translate our logo into another language. Italian, Polish and Dutch followed French. This year we’re adding Hungarian.
What makes this event so special and unique?
The fact that it is free to do as you wish. It’s all brands of motorcycles, types (cruiser, sport, scooter, etc.) and all forms. The other factor is the pleasure women take knowing that on this first Friday of May, women in Australia, in Poland, from west coast United States to the east coast of Canada, are sharing the ride together.
Do you feel that the experience of female riders in general has changed significantly since the first Female Ride Day?
Definitely. Not only female riders themselves, but the avail of products and activities. International Female Ride Day has spawned incredible amounts of activities, now considered yearly happenings all due to the introduction of this campaign. There were women’s clubs created just because of Female Ride Day. Women have encouraged others, and new riders have joined the activity. Harley-Davidson decided to make May Women Riders Month inspired by this campaign. There is more awareness to the woman rider than ever before. Even in Israel’s city of Tel Aviv, the first ever women’s motorcycle club took to riding through the main streets of the city for this day—not ever done before—nor were there so many women on motorcycles seen at one time. This in the country’s history!
What would you like to see change, in terms of awareness or acceptance of women involved in this activity?
There is a lot of acceptance and inclusion of campaigns from manufacturers directed specifically to women now. This is a huge improvement in the last decade. As we are still the minority gender, there are still challenges to be treated equally and not patronized. Unfortunately, we can’t place blame entirely on men for that—there are many women who still see themselves in an activity that’s done by men versus an activity that women do.
Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
Simply that the day is “everywhere you are”—that’s our buzz phrase for this year. Many women still misunderstand and think that the day is not happening in their town/city/region. It’s a day she participates in by simply getting on her motorcycle—be out there and JUST RIDE!
Comments