By Rana Khaled, Daily News Egypt Women riding motorcycles is considered a taboo in Egyptian society, where traditions and customs still blame girls for sexual harassment and rape, but Basma El-Gabry thinks that’s silly. El-Gabry founded a campaign called “Girls Go Wheels”, to encourage women to ride scooters as a means to overcome three main challenges they face on Egyptian streets. “Riding motorcycles can help girls avoid sexual harassment they suffer from in public transport buses,” she said. “It can also help them avoid traffic congestion and overcrowding, as well as overcome the fuel and gas shortage.” The whole thing started when she wanted to buy a scooter to go to university independently. “Instead of waiting for my family members to give me a lift, I decided to learn how to ride a scooter,” she said. But her family did not approve. Her mother agreed to let her buy a motorcycle only if she could find five other girls who rode one. So El-Gabry searched online for a scooter club in Cairo, where she found a lot of people from different cultural backgrounds, ages, and professions who use motorcycles as…
