Toronto program encourages hijab-wearing women to get on two wheels

Shaira Tasnia, 16, puts her helmet on while on a group cycling trip with community program Hijabs and Helmets, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Laura Proctor

TORONTO (Reuters) - For Tagreed Elhassan it's the feeling of the wind in her face.

Cycling gives her a sense of independence and a way to exercise. She learned the basics growing up in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and now a program in her new home of Toronto has taught the 24-year-old Eritrean refugee how to steer and basic bike mechanics, giving her the confidence to teach others.