This IFR stands for International Female Ride Day rather than an instrument flight rules and celebrates women riders spreading their wings in a globally synchronized ride day. Referred to as a “movement” by its participants, its call to action, “Just Ride!” asks women to be on their powersports vehicles for the first Saturday of May each year. Created in 2007 by Vicki Gray, a lifetime motorcycling advocate, road and race instructor, the purpose is to profile and highlight the many diverse women enjoying the activity of motorcycling.
“IFRD is key for altering usual stereotypical roles associated with motorcycling and for that fact, throughout all powersports,” explains Gray. “As an IFRD participant, you are an influencer, the role model for other women, both young and old, who haven’t yet taken the steps to explore motorcycling. That’s how simple it is! Achievement is attained simply by you joining in on the day. By taking part in IFRD, YOU demonstrate the diversities of women who enjoy motorsports.”
She notes things have changed in the past 16 years, but there is still a way to go. “Although female ridership has doubled over the past decade, women still represent 19-24 percent of all motorcycle owners. That’s still not even half – yet. The momentum generated on this one day, is still necessary to continue advancing the future of motorcycling for women.”
From a world economic view, findings from the recent World Economic Forum indicate that gender parity will not be attained for almost a century. “Projecting current trends into the future, the overall global gender gap will close in 99.5 years, on average, across the 107 countries covered continuously since the first edition of the report. At the slow speed experienced over the period 2006–2020, it will take 257 years to close this gap.”
Managed under Gray’s MOTORESS canopy, the IFRD movement is a necessary change agent, she believes. “The IFRD action clearly sends the message to the powersports industry at large, but also, and importantly to gender parity within all aspects of our day-to-day lives. IFRD demonstrates and continues introducing women to the numerous faucets of the activity, and its shared camaraderies.”
To learn more, visit the official IFRD website:
