Yesterday
I wrote about a rather curious phenomenon: the cities and countries
with the strongest cycling cultures aren't necessarily the ones with
weather and terrain most people believe are best for cycling. As
examples, I cited Boston, New York, San Francisco and Portland in the US
and such European locales as Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
Last week,
I wrote about the relationship between the two major bike booms
(1890s-early 1900s and 1970s) and the women's rights movements of those
periods.
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| From Brain Pickings |
Perhaps it's serendipitous that I came across a United Nations Development Programme Report which ranked countries, among other things, in gender equality. Tell me whether you are surprised to see these countries in the Top 10 (as of 2012):
1. Netherlands
2. Sweden
3. (tie) Denmark
3. (tie) Switzerland
5. Norway
6. Finland
7. Germany
8. Slovenia
9. France
10.Iceland.
After
seeing that, I did a bit of research. (OK, I spent a few minutes on
Google.) I found a number of reports that rank Seattle, Portland, San
Francisco, Boston, New York, Washington DC and Madison, Wisconsin among
the best US cities for gender equality.
Is
it a coincidence that the countries and cities in which cycling and
cyclists are most mainstream are also the ones where a woman has the
best chance to get a good education, paid what she's worth and the
health care she needs?
Just askin'.
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