BIKE-CURIOUS is a new program for Western Australian
girls and women*
Lots of girls and women in WA aren’t riding bikes for fun, transport or exercise
Image: Ste Murray
They’re missing out on the freedom and independence enjoyed by girls elsewhere, as well as many other brilliant things about getting around on wheels.
Working towards fair access to bike riding and good times on the streets for everyone,
BIKE-CURIOUS offers fun, creative experiences that invite girls and women to share their thoughts about riding, explore their experiences, and support each other to change things for themselves, their friends, and people like them.
*BIKE-CURIOUS aims to be inclusive of trans and intersex women and girls, as well as non-binary and gender fluid people who are comfortable in spaces which centre the experiences of young women.
BIKE-CURIOUS is a pilot program based on a workshop format and campaign called #andsheccyles which successfully engaged and empowered girls and young women in Ireland and Scotland.
Pilot programs run in 2023 and 2024 in partnership with WestCycle and funded by the Western Australian State Government enabled us to design and test a range of creative activities to arrive at methods that work with Australian women and girls.
You can request future workshops where you are to be part of the change!
#andshecycles was created by Green-Schools Ireland, with support from the Government of Ireland’s Department of Transport. To find out more visit greenschoolsireland.org . This inspired a campaign of the same name to encourage more teenage girls to cycle for everyday journeys by Sustrans Scotland funded by the Scottish Government sustrans.org.uk .
Image: Andy Caitlin
BIKE-CURIOUS is designed to:
Increase participants’ understanding of perceptions and barriers to riding bikes.
Develop creative processes to reveal their experiences of mobility and public space.
Co-design strategies to enable behaviour change among participants and their peers.
Generate social support and creative action to help them ride bikes for everyday transport.
Improve their skills, knowledge and confidence so they’ll ride more often.
Inform effective future initiatives to create places and networks that work for girls and women.
Meet our facilitators
Jen Hunter
Jen is an experienced and inspiring facilitator. After working as a lawyer for many years, Jen’s true passion led her to become a community sports coordinator and personal trainer encouraging and motivating people, particularly women and girls, to take care of their health and wellbeing.
Jen has facilitated a number of youth groups and programs encouraging women to embrace and enjoy cycling. Jen is studying for a Bachelor of Science to expand her knowledge and expertise in Health Promotion. She is a compassionate and patient facilitator, who loves seeing the spark in people grow into a fire when they realise what they’re capable of.
Rachel Watts
Rachel is a writer, activist and educator.
She’s passionate about community building around environmental action and is always thrilled to share her home grown veggies and experiences with her neighbours.
Rachel’s workshops encourage creativity, connection and tiny acts of courage. She is also a writer, with work published for teen readers as well as on community, environment and mental health. She is grateful to live, work and learn on Whadjuk Noongar country.
Lucy is a community builder in the Vic Park area who loves making things happen in the most useful and flexible way possible. She practices listening deeply to a range of different perspectives to help find the simplest next step to act on. Her passion is creating spaces where people feel connected and like they belong.
Lucy has worked as a coach and mentor with young people who are transitioning from school to work or vocational education. She enjoys working with young people because they bring so much creativity and fresh thinking to the table, as well as shedding new light on established ways of doing things. She believes that youth perspectives bring vitality to the community and she is dedicated to creating spaces where this can happen.