Three motorcycles charged down the quay in Sidi Bou Said, engines booming as their riders pushed the throttle, turning the heads of beachgoers and families out for a quiet walk along the water in the winter sun. The sight of sports bikes along Tunisia's beaches and long, country roads is a familiar one, but this particular group of bikers is far from ordinary. Meet the Queen Bikers, Tunisia's first all-female motorcycle club. "There are more than 300 women who have a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/motoring/2021/10/17/the-uaes-biggest-motorcycle-show-roars-back-into-dubai-next-month/" target="_blank">motorcycle</a> driving licence in <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/tunisia/" target="_blank">Tunisia</a>, but do not practise this sport," Khadija Hsaini, one of the founding members of the group, told Reuters. She said there are a host of reasons holding women back. "They do not feel safe, or because they can't find clubs that they can belong to, or because they don’t want to drive with men and want an all-female group." Dozens of motorcycle clubs exist around the country, but are almost exclusively composed of men – many of whom think women should only ride motorcycles as passengers. So Hsaini set about to find other women to ride with. Among them is Wafa Khalifa. "The idea [for the club] came when we were all separated," Khalifa told Reuters. "Each woman owned a motorcycle, but was alone." Hsaini reached out to her and others. "She looked for us on social media and found every person in the area. Then she sent messages asking why we were so far from each other." Now the women gather regularly to ride their motorcycles along Tunisia's scenic coastal roads, past Roman ruins and through endless stretches of olive groves. They pause along the way to take selfies with their bikes, and with one another. "We were all very happy with this initiative," Khalifa said. "Having an all-female motorcycle club is great."
