Why is it so much harder for women in cycling to get their share of exposure? That’s what Rally Cycling rider Abby Mickey would like to know. “I think our races are more exciting, they’re shorter, the tactics are completely different,” said Mickey, who will be racing the next four days in the second Colorado Classic. “And honestly, who would you rather see in Spandex?”
It’s harder for women to escape poverty, the report’s authors say, because women have less access to jobs and economic opportunities. In many places, the laws make it impossible for women to inherit wealth, own land and access credit. And, of course, even when women do find jobs, they are often paid less than men. Women have less time to work, too, because they do a disproportionate share of the housework, cooking and child care. Women are also more vulnerable to food insecurity in nearly two-thirds of all countries. When a crisis hits, the report finds, women are more likely than men to go hungry. The highest percentage of women who face this challenge is in sub-Saharan Africa, though it’s a problem worldwide.