As the number of female motorcyclists and their use of ride-sharing apps continue to rise around Bangladesh, there are concerns whether the traditional idea of gender roles could be harmful for women riders' safety.
Ani (not her real name), a regular user of female ride-sharing service Obon, said she feels safer with female riders as they drive safer.
“I feel like I might slide off if I ride sidesaddle [sideways] on a motorbike,” said Ani, adding that riding a motorcycle with her legs on both sides gave her more stability.
But she cannot do the same with male riders, as most male bikers often insist that female passengers sit sidesaddle.
Ani had met a biker like this a few years ago in Satkhira. “The guy kept insisting that I sit like a ‘proper woman’," she said, blaming traditional gender roles as the main reason behind the attitude.
Farhana Afroz, a registered biker with Obon, said sitting sidesaddle on a motorcycle is risky—particularly for women who have little experience in riding motorbikes.
“If you put both legs on one side, it takes up more space and also makes the driver uncomfortable,” said Farhana, adding that women usually have to put their legs together if they are wearing traditional Bangali attire, like sari or salwar kameez.
She said that while receiving training on road safety from Obon, they did not receive any instruction regarding the sitting position of passengers.
Issues like women having to sidesaddle on motorbikes is hardly considered as a safety issue. Experts and users blame this on the traditional attire worn by Bengali women and social norms which expect women to act in a "feminine" manner.
Kamran ul Baset, head of Brac Road Safety Program, said sidesaddle is in no way a safe sitting position for anyone, adding that most Bangladeshi women are culturally wired to ride motorbikes sideways.
He explained: "The first rule is that the driver and the passenger have to sit very close to each other to maintain balance. It is necessary for both of them to sit with their legs on the both sides for balanced weight distribution."
Baset added that it gets more riskier when the motorcyclist takes a turn because the weight distribution is not proportionate.
Dr Tania Haque, professor of women and gender studies department at Dhaka University, said it is necessary to acknowledge that road safety for women is being compromised just because "we do not want to break traditional gender roles."
She added: “Women are expected to sit with their legs crossed as spreading their legs is considered indecent as per our societal norm. This is why probably most women do not even think about sitting on a motorbike with their legs apart.”
When contacted, an official from ride sharing service Pathao said they cannot impose any safety rules regarding sitting positions—particularly for female riders—because it would be difficult for them to sit with their legs spread while wearing a saree.
However, she said they faced other problems with female riders, such as refusal to wear helmets as it could mess up their hair.
With more than 700 registered female bikers, Obon, also does not have any specific rules regarding passengers' sitting position, according to company officials. But they do recommend sitting with both legs on either side of the vehicle.