Biciempoderadas: Pedaling Towards Empowerment and a Life Free from Violence

By Natalia de León Tello 

Reporting from La Guajira, Colombia, Colombia, during the ICFP 2025 Colombia Reporting Trip.

a Biciempoderadas

In 2025, so far, La Guajira, Colombia reported 849 cases of gender-based violence (VBG), including 570 cases of sexual violence, affecting thousands of residents in the area.. According to UNFPA Colombia, 57,012 people are identified as having humanitarian needs related to VBG, highlighting the urgent need for initiatives that protect and empower women and vulnerable populations.

In this context, Biciempoderadas, led by UNFPA Colombia, brings together 44 women—both Colombian and Venezuelan—in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, and Riohacha, La Guajira. These women are using bicycles not only as a clean and accessible means of transportation but also as tools for self-care, empowerment, and the promotion of a life free from gender-based violence.A year after its launch in Norte de Santander, Biciempoderadas is already making a measurable impact. The initiative reaches an average of 300 people per month, delivering life-saving information on gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive rights to both migrants and host communities.

This initiative brings together migrant women, returnees, and members of host communities, fostering social cohesion while uplifting women leaders. For participants who often lack sufficient economic resources to move around the city, bicycles provide a sustainable solution: they enable mobility, generate livelihoods, encourage healthy lifestyles, and reduce the carbon footprint. Yazmín from the program states: “Since I was 6 years old, I dreamed of owning a bycicle; today, at over 50 years of age, my dream has come true”.

Beyond the practical benefits, Biciempoderadas invests in knowledge and empowerment. Women participants gain critical understanding of sexual and reproductive rights, as well as strategies to prevent gender-based violence, which they replicate in their communities. They also join the Bikeschool, a UNFPA Colombia training space where they learn about the history of bicycles, their impact on female empowerment, and basic mechanics. This comprehensive approach ensures that participants not only ride but also acquire the confidence and skills to lead and inspire change within their communities.

“The only fuel a bicycle needs is our strength and desire, so I’m going to pedal and pedal to reach other women,” says Angélica, one of the Biciempoderadas, capturing the spirit of determination and solidarity that drives the initiative.

UNFPA Colombia hopes to continue strengthening Biciempoderadas, expanding its impact to other territories, and inspiring more women to pedal toward empowerment, independence, and lives free from violence. Biciempoderadas is proof that even simple tools, like a bicycle, can drive profound social change—helping women move forward in every sense of the word while addressing the urgent challenges of gender-based violence along Colombia’s border.