Wheels of Change: Transforming Girls’ Lives with Bicycles

Abstract Motivated by the persistent barriers to girls’ education-such as long travel distances and safety concerns-we evaluate the impact of a bicycle distribution program targeting school-going girls living more than 3 kilometres from their schools in rural Zambia. In this randomized controlled trial, we compare outcomes for girls who received bicycles against a control group. One year after the intervention, we find a 34% reduction in commute time, a 66% improvement in punctuality, and a 29% decrease in absenteeism. The program also significantly enhanced empowerment outcomes, including improvements in locus of control and educational aspirations. Moreover, two to three years after implementation, the intervention led to sustained gains in school retention. These findings highlight the potential of bicycles as a scalable and cost-effective solution for reducing educational barriers and promoting girls’ empowerment in low-resource settings.