Through Deserts, Jungles & Gender Barriers

 

Benjamin Levin is the Content Creator on the 2024 Tour d’Afrique Cycling Expedition. He files his first report from Egypt.

The Tour d’Afrique is now leaving the moonscape deserts of Egypt for the fertile abundance of the Rwandan mountains. This shift, marked by the stark colour contrast between the yellow of Egypt and the green of Rwanda, is not the only change involving this particular Tour d’Afrique, and certainly not the most important. In fact, the most important change isn’t represented in the landscape and roads at all, but rather in the riders themselves, namely, the intrepid women of the 2024 Tour d’Afrique.

Although this tour has run for over two decades, this year marks a historic milestone – a perfectly balanced representation of men and women cycling the length of Africa, over 9,000 kilometres. When the tour first ran, 20% of the participants were women; 10 years later it was 34%, and now, 10 years after that, it is 50%. However awesome these numbers are, this is more than a statistical change. It is a testament to the amazing participants on this year’s Tour d’Afrique and an indication that the landscape of expedition cycling is becoming more inclusive and accessible.

So why is this shift taking place? Is it that the stereotypes that once restricted women to the sidelines of expedition cycling are being dismantled? Is it because the influx of women into this sport has motivated others to try and, subsequently, fall in love with it? Or maybe the Tour d’Afrique presents challenges that supersede gender? The truth is, it’s all of these things and more.

Cairo to Cape Town rider Margot explains how there is often a barrier to entry for women in cycling and how riders in Belgium, her home country, combat that – “For women, there seems to be a threshold to get onto that bike; We have organized a few female only backpacking weekends which is really cool…” Margot goes on to explain that these weekends empower women, new to expedition cycling, to take the leap and get on that bike. This camaraderie and encouragement is part of the process that becomes progress for women in the sport.

Sheila, a fellow Cairo to Cape Town rider, remarks that there are special things about women being on this trip – “Historically women did not have the wherewithal, the funds, or the ability to separate from a spouse… women have always been caretakers.” Sheila expressed how great it is that events like this are now more accessible to women due to the various social norms that have shifted. With progress being made toward gender equality, opportunities have opened up and women have taken full advantage of them. This TDA trip is an example of that.

The most brilliant thing about this wonderful trip and its amazing participants is that it is about more than men and women riding bikes. “The main glue that holds us together is tremendous adventure,” Sheila says. On a trip like this you do not quantify people by things like gender and age; you qualify them by their adventurous spirit, by their willingness to be brave, and by their wherewithal to struggle and struggle and struggle until they succeed. Bound by a common goal, these riders share triumph and defeat together as the trip continues. It is this shared purpose that dissolves gender barriers, bringing together individuals with a singular passion for adventure and resulting in an experience that creates an incredible bond between the riders and the ride.

This, ultimately, is what TDA is about.

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TOUR

Tour d'Afrique

Our original trans-continental journey and flagship expedition crosses Africa from north to south, covering 10 countries in all. Beginning at the...