My Story: People In My Village Called Me A 'Bad Woman' For Riding A Bike, Now I'm Teaching My Daughters The Same

When I first came with my motorcycle to this village, a lot of villagers gathered and surrounded me like they had never seen something like this before. People used to point at me to each other and say, “see the bad woman who is riding a motorcycle”. Now many girls from this village want to learn how to ride a motorcycle from me.

I rode a motorcycle before my marriage. Now I work with an international NGO. When I was younger I used to go to school on my bicycle. When my husband met me, he said I was different from others. He can’t drive so he always sits behind me on the motorcycle. This is very unusual for my village people. But my husband always told me, “never listen to people.”

My husband and my two daughters, an 11-year-old and a 5-year-old, are always proud of me. I bought bicycles for both of my children from the Rs 11,000 which I saved from my salary. My elder daughter goes to school on her bicycle. I always told her that men and women have the same rights. If a man can ride a bicycle and motorcycle, why can’t you?

I dream that my daughters will be a doctor when they grow up. I also bought a big land with my own savings for my daughters so they can open their own clinic after finishing their studies.

My mother was seven years old when she got married. When I grew up, my mother started her studies with me from class one. We went to school together until class 8 .Then my mother did not continue her education because of our big family. But she always told me, “Lucky you have to be independent, you have to do a job and fulfil all your dreams.”

– Lucky (38)

Story By – GMB Akash