Meet the Queen Bikers, Tunisia’s first all-female motorcycle club

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A team of motorcyclists journey through the nation streets of Tunisia, turning the heads of onlookers as they zoom earlier. But this is no common team of bikers. Meet up with the Queen Bikers, Tunisia’s very first woman-only motorcycle club.

Khadija Hssaini is the president of the Queen Bikers club. Her enthusiasm for biking began when she was a baby. “The minute I get started the motor, I completely neglect about the folks, the streets, as my full currently being is fused with the bicycle. The extra you pace, the more you sense at ease and the adrenaline goes off the roof,” the 27-yr-previous clarifies.

Household challenges

Khadija normally takes her hobby severely and wears total protective equipment on each and every experience. Even so, finding support from her household has not been quick. “The complications we deal with as female bikers start out with the spouse and children mainly because they generally do not acknowledge a lady driving a bike. They see bikes as a danger lurking in the darkness,” she tells Scenes.

Khadija is not afraid to deal with stereotypes inside her community. She refused to permit cultural limitations get in the way of her passion.

Sisterhood

Khadija plucked up the courage to enter into a motorcycle rally in the south of Tunisia. To her shock, 3 other gals have been also taking part. “The females introduced a problem for me, and I was pleased about it. Just one of the ladies joined the rally for the initially time. She was a beginner but dared to be a part of all by herself,” Khadija recounts. “So when I observed the females proudly owning the rally, I considered to myself what a fantastic idea to begin a women of all ages-only group,” she provides.

Khadija achieved out to the ladies on social media and prompt they appear together and variety a team. Soon, they ended up in consistent communication, sending messages again and forth, swapping selfies and getting to be agency buddies.

Bikers spirit

Queen Bikers member Chima ben Ammou, explained to Scenes what biking suggests to her. “Individually, driving a bike modified my everyday living. I utilised to be so stressed out by my job. Even nevertheless I was a normal at the gymnasium and other sporting actions, nothing compares to riding a bike.”

In Tunisia, most bike golf equipment are exclusively for men. It is frequently believed that women of all ages should only be travellers on bikes.

“Considering the fact that I was a baby, people today would come up to my father and say: ‘Why is your daughter like this? Why do you let her experience a motorcycle?’ They would ask the exact to my mum: ‘Why does she permit a woman ride on your own and not worry for her safety?’” clarifies Chima.

The Queen Bikers trip alongside one another as a team for the reason that it is safer. “When bikers are driving for a prolonged-length, they need to be with a team since it’s safer and far more organised to observe sure indications. There is a biker who opens the road and a further just one who closes the highway,” describes Khadija. “Symptoms are given to slow down or velocity up and inform you when you will find a bump or an impediment,” she adds.

Attitudes toward woman bikers are changing in Tunisia, and the Queen bikers welcome the improve. “Male riders are encouraging girls to journey. They’ll salute you every time they occur across you. That is what we simply call a biker’s spirit,” states Chaima. “It is really an encouraging indicator and you will find unquestionably no change in between male and female bikers. Fortunately, this gender-based mostly mentality is fading away amongst younger riders,” she provides.

Queen Bikers’ long run plans

The women gather often to trip their bikes together Tunisia’s scenic shorelines and coastal roadways, documenting their rides on social media. “It is very cozy to be amongst women. When I’m driving with girls, it is really a familiar emotion. We usually have so much to communicate about without boundaries,” clarifies Chaima.

Khadija’s intention is to stimulate much more woman riders to be part of Queen Bikers. The group of 5 organise rallies and situations to recruit new members. “We have much more than 300 girls who own a licence in Tunisia and that quantity is escalating, but we do not see them on the streets,” she suggests.

Khadija is hopeful for a dazzling foreseeable future for all young female bikers in Tunisia to just take to the open up highway and obstacle social stereotypes.