On 8 March we will join together as a cycling community to celebrate International Women’s Day, taking the opportunity to recognise progress made, while also pledging to create ongoing change for women.

The global theme this year is to choose to challenge. From challenge comes change – and who better to bring about that change than those who are most passionate about our sport and using bikes as a tool for freedom, fun and happiness. That’s you.

We invite you to share your pledge for how you will help to make your mark on women’s cycling. From tackling inequality in the sport to making sure that women’s adventures by bike are celebrated and well represented, have a think about what you can do to further the conversation around women’s cycling this year.

Share your pledge

By following the simple steps below, you will join a family of supporters who together will help to create a roadmap for change.

1. Download and print the selfie card – or just grab some plain paper.
2. Write your pledge, using a thick felt-tip pen. You could: challenge any aspect of inequality within cycling; or challenge yourself to take action: tuning in to coverage of women’s racing, setting yourself a personal cycling challenge or registering for an education course, for example.
3. Include #ChooseToChallenge if you’ve used blank paper.
4. Take a photo of yourself holding the card – and if someone else can take the photo, lift a hand to show your support. Or go one step further and record a short video sharing your challenge and why it’s important to you.
5. Attach your image/video to an email and include a sentence or two about yourself and why you’ve chosen your pledge.
6. Then share your selfie with us by 4 March to be featured in our #ChooseToChallenge montage (send to: contentteam@britishcycling.org.uk).
7. Join the conversation on International Women’s Day by sharing your pledge from your own social accounts too, tagging #ChooseToChallenge, #IWD2021 and @BritishCycling.

Our work on women’s cycling

Last year we announced that we had reached our target of getting a million more women on bikes between 2013 and 2020. Our work on progressing all elements of women’s cycling continues and has become an important element of our wider diversity and inclusion strategy.

We recently appointed a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, who together with a newly-established internal working group, will shape and embed the strategy across the organisation. As this work progresses we are excited to share our roadmap and reach out to anyone passionate about creating change.