Egypt School Girls Battle Cycling Harassment (Photo)

Girls in northern Egypt have launched a bike-riding campaign in protest against widespread intolerance towards female cyclists.

It's unusual to see women cycling in Egypt, and some of those who do so face harassment from passers-by.
But five teenagers in the city of Port Said are trying to change that.

They created a group called "There is no difference" to promote cycling as an option for female travellers, prompted by steep rises in the cost of taxi and minibus rides since the government slashed fuel subsidies.


Their first event was a mass bike ride in the coastal city that attracted both male and female cyclists.

Israa Fayed, one of the organisers, told government-sponsored Al-Qanal TV:

We want to show that there is no difference between boys and girls. Girls can ride bikes, and our first aim is to get society accustomed to the sight of a girl on a bike."