In Cote d'Ivoire, as in much of the developing world, women play a critical role in economic production, family support, health care, and the overall development of the country. Accordingly, a family's well-being is directly correlated with the health and education of its women. When women are well-educated and in good health the entire family thrives. However, when the women are poorly-educated or too sick to fulfill their roles the family suffers. In Cote d'Ivoire, there remain many challenges to women's good health and education.
Statistics show that only one out of every four students receiving a higher education is a woman.
The health of a woman and her family is often directly linked to her educational level, and health problems can pose a disempowering obstacle to women's development. A girl's plans for the future are often interrupted by an unwanted pregnancy, and a woman's business may fail if she's often too ill to maintain it. Many severe health problems women face can be prevented, or mitigated, with proper education. Women who are well-informed lead healthier lives, which in turn affects the health of the entire family and its potential for development. The riders will then continue for 15 days, stopping in an anticipated 16 volunteer villages, and end in Daloa, the country's third largest city, on January 28, 2001.