A Liberal Democrat-run council has been accused of doubling down on ‘sexist’ claims about how e-bikes help women ‘stay looking nice’.
Kingston Council, in southwest London, left residents furious earlier this week after publishing an equalities assessment report in which it said e-bikes ‘make it easier for women to meet their traditional domestic responsibilities’.
The local authority apologised profusely after residents responded with uproar – only to replace the offending statements with a new paragraph about how e-bikes can help women to carry their shopping.
Kingston Council has now been accused of ‘trivialising women’s role’ in society.
Resident Caroline Shah, 64, forced the council to apologise after complaining about the local authority’s ‘two-tier approach to equalities’ earlier this week.
She has now told the Daily Mail: ‘When I read [the original report] I was shocked, I couldn’t help but laugh at such an absurd statement.
‘But when you stop laughing, it’s appalling that the council is saying this about women in this day and age.
‘It’s disturbing in today’s society, there is no place for it. It’s completely inappropriate, I was aghast.
Kingston resident Caroline Shah, 64, (pictured) forced the council to apologise after an e-bikes report contained allegedly sexist remarks about women
The report, an equalities impact assessment, was produced to consider the benefits of e-bikes to the area
‘The whole thing seemed to be a strange marketing document for e-bikes and there were strange comments about pregnant women.
‘It’s concerning that this “assessment” hasn’t assessed the real issues impacting women when it comes to e-bikes.
‘The report concludes that there is no negative impact from e-bikes on women. I disagree.
‘Nine in 10 women feel unsafe on the streets after dark. I was followed by a man when I was a teenager and that stays with you. It’s absolutely terrifying.
‘But the council’s comments about women “looking nice” while riding e-bikes trivialises our safety concerns, it trivialises women. It’s patronising.
‘No women were consulted for this report. If we were, the council would have got our feedback.’
Kingston Council had stated in the original report that e-bikes ‘may increase women’s access to cycling and physical activity by making it easier for women to meet their traditional domestic responsibilities, as well as stay looking “nice” on a bike’.
It added that ‘e-bikes are also challenging sexism in cycling in important ways; making bike retail and repair environments more inclusive for women, challenging sexism in bike design and marketing and increasing women’s sense of confidence and entitlement to occupy the road space’.
The report also stated: ‘They are also opening up more empowering and enjoyable opportunities for physical activity to a wider group of women.’
The local authority was forced to issue a grovelling apology after Ms Shah complained about a ‘two-tier approach to equalities’.
It acknowledged that the report ‘contained an outdated and inappropriate description of the benefits of cycling for women’.
The comments do ‘not align with the council’s commitments to fairness, inclusivity and protecting the rights of all women and girls’, the council said, adding that ‘we would like to sincerely apologise for this error and for any offence caused’.
The local authority said the statement in question was a ‘direct quote from a peer reviewed academic paper which was used as part of the research to inform the assessment’.
However, it was seen to have doubled down after removing the offending paragraph and replacing it with comments about how e-bikes can help women with their shopping.
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Fury after Liberal Democrat-run council said e-bikes would help women to ‘stay looking nice’
The updated report now states: ‘E-bikes may increase active travel amongst women as well as the wider population by for example enabling carrying of goods or shopping and allowing more complex trip chaining that people with carrying responsibilities may face more regularly.’
But the council have now been accused ‘patronising’ women by appearing to suggest that their main use for e-bikes would be to take home shopping.
Ms Shah, who was left furious by the ordeal, said: ‘After I complained, the council took out the part about women “looking nice” on e-bikes and replaced it with a sentence about how e-bikes allow women to carry their shopping which feels patronising to me.
‘It’s trivialising women’s role in life, like our whole identity is being trivialised. It’s like a Harry Enfield sketch. Women just want to get on with their lives and be treated equally.
‘They did not change the statement in a meaningful way. It has not been done properly. Who signed off on this?
‘Equality assessments are a bureaucratic nonsense and this report shows the council’s two-tier approach to equalities.
‘I care a lot about equality and have challenged Kingston Council about many issues over the years – but I feel that I have been shut down and silenced by them.
‘This report doesn’t address the risks to older women, pregnant women or disabled women.
‘It shows the council’s complete disregard to the reality that women experience on the streets of Kingston or London.’
Kingston Council has been approached for further comment.
