Cycling courses as a building block for self-determination? - Stories of female immigrants

Women with a migrant background exhibit different mobility behaviors than non-migrant women. Cultural barriers or lack of access to a bicycle have made it impossible for women from some countries of origin to learn to ride a bicycle themselves, or to continue to do so as adults. When women leave their country of origin, these cultural rules are changed in the new living environment and the women have the chance to learn how to ride a bike. Some non-profit associations offer special cycling courses for immigrant women. As there is hardly any evaluation, little is known about the participants, their individual motives and experiences. To learn more about the immigrant women and their personal experiences, qualitative interviews were conducted with participants of cycling courses in the city of Vienna and St. Pölten. Women revealed that they had limited mobility in their countries of origin; many of them were not allowed to cycle whereas their male relatives were. Results show that the course participation increases cycling skills and women's subjective feelings of safety. Moreover, based on the women's stories, the picture is emerging, that the participation in the cycling course can contribute to the women's self-determination, integration, and sense of freedom.