Photo and text by Laila Rezay
Barch – Kabul, Afghanistan

My photo story is about people riding bicycles. This type of transport is very old and people on bicycles can get around easily. Around the world, women and men can ride a bike, but in Afghanistan only men can ride bicycles.
When you go out and see cyclists, it will always be a man. They maybe be someone who is going to an education center to learn, and have a bag pack or several books and notebooks.
They wear warm coat, gloves and use an ascot in winter. Sometimes we can see two young boys on one bicycle. In the street we can see small boys riding bicycle or in the corner they stop bicycle and play with other boys. 
Also we see men going to work early in the morning, or an old man with their weak legs who is able to ride a bicycle. In Afghanistan, when boys want to ride a bicycle, their family allows to them to do so, but when girls want to do the same, their family say: you are a girl, you can’t ride a bicycle, it is bad for you, and what will people say about you riding a bicycle. Before the Taliban, some girls used to ride bicycles, and their families allowed them. Right now when a girl rides a bike in the street, people see her and the Taliban will imprison her for this. They believe through this girls do non-Islamic work, but I believe everyone can ride a bike, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a girl or a boy.
In Afghanistan usually poor people use bicycles. Rich people never use a bike, because they can afford a car.