I think the bicycle has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world.”
— American suffragette Susan B. Anthony in 1896 —

In 2008, I made and published the book Girls, Muslims & Motorcycles, together with writer, travel companion and then-lover, Gaea Schoeters. In text and photos, the book tells of numerous encounters and adventures during our overland motorbike journey through nine Muslim countries in Eurasia. There the seed was planted for my global image and storytelling project on women blazing trails with their vehicles, about mobility as a means of emancipation:

Women face obstacles moving in public spaces, be it prejudices, rigid traditions, absurd laws, violence. All over the world, courageous, creative women have found ways to overcome these obstacles. Using specific vehicles, they challenge gender stereotypes, change their society from within, gain independence, self-confidence and strength. With their trucks, bicycles, planes, boats, rickshaws and motorcycles, they flout and challenge whomever holds them back.
Travelling to villages, towns and remote mountain areas, I track down, interview and photograph some of the world’s wayward women. A few are over a hundred years old, one is merely ten. Some are local or international celebrities, others unknown housewives. Yet each and every one of them is a trailblazing role model, inspiring others to follow suit.

Move she does, or Trailblazers as the book title will be, delves into a large array of ages, cultures, classes, backgrounds and all sorts of vehicles.
Through stories and portraits, I aim to unearth a part of untold herstory, showcase the courage, power and ongoing struggles of these often unsung sheroes, to inspire next generations, and create more understanding, sisterhood and equity. And to provide more real life role models.

STATE OF THINGS
Since 2022, I have met with mind-blowing women and groups in Iran, England, Belgium, Afghanistan, Germany, Italy, Japan, Tanzania and India, for a total of 35 stories.
In 2025, I mainly aim to write the book, though making a few new stories in either Algeria, Morocco or Turkey is on my wishlist, depending on budget and time. And I still have stories waiting to be made in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, of a tugboat captain, a barge skipper, two very young truckers, and a special cyclist.
In 2026, the full editing, designing and preparing of the book for publication will start. 
[ if you want to look into any of the previous or current journeys, you can follow me on my Polarsteps profile, a traveltracker/blog available on web and app. ]

SPECIFICS
The project consists of portraits, interviews, context stories, audio recordings and short videos of these trailblazers.
All along, these stories are spread through articles, talks in schools and for general audiences (contact me if you want to book a talk), and for now sparsely on social media. By the beginning of 2027, the project will become a published BOOK,
Goal is to publish it in Dutch (my native language) as Baanbrekers, hopefully in German as Wegbereiterinnen, and in English (with an Indian publisher) as Trailblazers.

And now there is the exhibition Baanbrekers / Trailblazers in the Concertgebouw (Concerthall) of Bruges, Belgium, from 9 November 2024 till 2 February 2025.
32 large scale portraits (on two floors), 3 audio stories (in Dutch), archive material of some women, and a ‘making of’-video.
The vernissage on Sunday 17/11 went like a blast, with over 200 people attending, some from as far a Romania. Interviewer Gaea Schoeters was her stage-firm witty self, soprano Britt Truyts sang three haunting songs, and my special guests did amazing on stage.
More information and for opening times of the exhibition:
Baanbrekers / exhibition by Trui Hanoulle

Trui Hanoulle is a freelance photographer, storyteller, graphic designer, writer, motorbiker, long-distance traveller, queer and coffeeholic. 
Move she does / Baanbrekers / Trailblazers is her own initiative and creation, financed independently of any media or other agenda.