News
Women's Summit to Tackle Gender Disparity in Bicycling
National event will gather leaders and galvanize action to get more women riding.
September 12, 2012
By Carolyn at League of American Bicyclists
Long Beach, Calif. - Across the U.S. the number of bicyclists is skyrocketing - but women still ride much less than men.
In 2009, women accounted for just 24 percent of all U.S. bike trips. The National Women's Bicycling Summit will bring together women leaders -- and launch a national effort to close the gender gap in American bicycling.
Hosted by the League of American Bicyclists and Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, the Summit will be held tomorrow, September 13, at the Long Beach Convention Center, beginning at 2 p.m.
Leah Missbach Day, co-founder of World Bicycle Relief, will keynote the first-ever event. Speaking about how the bicycle can inspire both personal and cultural revolutions, Day will set the stage for a sold-out gathering aimed at increasing the number of women who ride bikes and empowering female leadership at all levels of the bicycle movement.
"It's time to build a future where women of all backgrounds are equally represented on the streets and in the movement," said Carolyn Szczepanski, League Communications Director. "This Summit will be an important starting point to do just that, showcasing and bringing together women who are doing incredible work to engage more women from coast to coast."
In addition to the keynote address, the Summit will feature local and national leaders in advocacy, media, sport and retail, including:
- Dotsie Bausch, Olympic silver medalist, Team Pursuit
- Elly Blue, Taking the Lane media
- Yolanda Davis-Overstreet, Ride in Living Color (LA)
- Mia Kohout, publisher, Momentum magazine
- Alexis Lantz, Los Angeles Country Health Department
- Allison Mannos, co-founder, Multicultural Communities for Mobility (LA)
- Ovarian Psychos women's bike brigade (LA)
and many others...
Click here for the full agenda and list of speakers.
The Women's Summit will also include the "Cycle Chic: Past, Present & Future" urban bike fashion show, hosted by Women On Bikes SoCal. Mikael Colville-Andersen, founder of Copenhaganize.com and the world-wide Cycle Chic movement, will be a special guest at show.
"Right now, the bicycle is a design and fashion darling," said Melissa Balmer, Editor/Initiative Director for Women On Bikes SoCal. "We hope both the Summit and the fashion show will inspire more women to become active participants in the crucial movement of bicycle advocacy."
You Might Also Like
- Gates Carbon Drive and White Industries Partner on New Freewheel Sprocket: Denver, Colo. – Gates Carbon Drive has partnered with White Industries to create the CDX Freewheel, a screw-on freewheel sprocket that marries the clean, quiet and strong Gates belt drive system with White’s high performance and...
- Now Hiring: Full-Time State Network Manager for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership: The Safe Routes to School National Partnership (National Partnership) is seeking an energetic and detail-oriented professional with strong policy campaign experience and advocacy skills to join the National Partnership as our State Network...
- Honey Stinger is Newest Sponsor of the Colorado High School Cycling League: Boulder, Colo.— The Colorado High School Cycling League (Colorado League) welcomes Honey Stinger as a new sponsor for 2013. Located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Honey Stinger, was founded in 2002 to bring nutritious and great tasting...
- Hundreds Unite to Tell Congress that Bicycling Means Business : Washington, D.C. - (March 1, 2013) Last summer, Congress passed a transportation bill that slashed dedicated funding for bicycling projects and programs. But next week, hundreds of bike advocates, industry leaders and cycling enthusiasts will...
Share on