We wish to welcome Solo Arrya, new national president of WIMA Malaysia, and Lin Yeoh, new Vice-President and wish them best of luck with their new commitments.
Many thanks to former national president Nor, who served as NP since the inauguration of the division in 2011. Nor will remain on the board as adviser.
We are happy to announce that Michelle Lamphere, a former WRWR admin, is taking up the role as the National President of WIMA USA.
Former president Sylvia Salenius stepped down in 2018 after 6 years of service and the search for a successor took time. We want to thank Sylvia for her years of service as well as Alice Sexton, her predecessor, who stepped in to keep the flame burning and never gave up hope! We look forward with excitement to the revival of our founding division. Good luck Michelle!
A full presentation of Michelle will be available in the National Divisions section shortly.
The theme that UN Women has chosen for this year’s International Women’s Day is “I am Generation Equality” and although it is more an aspiration than a realisation, for sure we are working towards it. In many countries, being a woman riding a motorbike is no longer anything that turns heads. However, in some countries women are still battling with legal restrictions and stereotypes – and are pushing to break these gender boundaries. Bangladesh is such a country and we are proud of our sisters in Bangladeshi Women’s Riders Club/WIMA Bangladesh who, on a regular basis, are arranging events in order to, bit by bit, tear down the boundaries that limit their lives.
This year they are celebrating International Women’s Day by putting on an event with the slogan “Stop Women and Child Rape and Murder Now!” In the following video clip, you can hear Rozen Mahmood, Vice President of WIMA Bangladesh and a long-time motorcycle rider, one of the pioneers in Bangladesh, talk about the event. In Bengali with English subtitles.
In Bangladesh, and many similar countries, riding a motorcycle is not just something you do for leisure, it is also a way to keep you safe. If you have your own transport you are independent, moreover – you do not need to travel on packed busses where men take advantage and grope you or put yourself at risk taking vespa taxis driven by unknown men. This is something Trui Hanoulle, president of WIMA Belgium and Dimple Chaudhary, member of WIMA India, have written and published an in-depth article about.
In WIMA we love to connect people, here are WIMA members, Nirmali Nath and Dimple (India) who, together with Trui (Belgium), took the WRWR baton to the border of India-Bangladesh to meet up with Israt Kahn Mojlis, president of WIMA Bangladesh and WRWR Ambassador. This is women power – to get things done!
All photos © Trui Hanoulle
Chantal Ernandez-Hertrich was nominated by WIMA France for her long service to WIMA France and her recent efforts in reviving the organisation. Her division had managed to keep the nomination a secret and it was a great surprise for her to be called up on stage and receive the award at the International WIMA Rally in Castleton.
In Chantal’s own words and photos:
Verena Reindl has served as national president of WIMA Germany for 18 years, which is no small feat – Germany being one of our largest divisions. During the international rally in Castleton we had the pleasure to thank her for her service and welcome her successor to the post, Susi Metzner.
On a personal note, Verena is the person who I have known the longest in WIMA World. We met way back at the European rally in Sweden 2005, which was my first. There we and a couple of other members spent a day riding, exploring the area and eating our fill of cake from a cake buffet for lunch. Verena, I wish you the very best and hope that you will continue to enjoy WIMAs rallies near and far!
Welcome Susi, I look forward to working with you! We will meet again soon, when you host the international WIMA rally in Germany next summer.
/Åsa, international president of WIMA
Nicole Peters, member of WIMA Germany, was elected WIMA’s new and first ever Social Media Manager at the international rally in Castleton, England.
She has been working with the social media accounts for her home division for some time and you might remember that she was the very talented creator of WIMA Germany’s winning contribution to the 3rd international WIMA Day video competition. We are very pleased to welcome her to our group of WIMA international officers!
This is Nicole, to the left, receiving the exclusive 3rd WIMA Day T-shirt. Jane Spiegel, president of WIMA Austria, in the middle, kindly provided German translations to my double announcement.
Rally T-shirts from left to right: Finland 2018, Sweden 2005, Hungary 2016, Great Britain 2011
For more info about our previous rallies visit: International Rallies.
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