About Follow the Women
Truth is, she’d prefer not to be regarded as the leader. She never seeks out the cameras for self-attention. She honestly wishes others were called to the microphone at evening banquets. But let’s face it, Detta Regan from the United Kingdom is the ever so humble powerhouse behind Follow the Women. Without her galvanizing energy, indefatigable commitment to human rights and creative vision, Follow the Women would not exist.
Origin of the FTW name. Through her European youth work Detta visited the Middle East. In 2003, on a trip to Egypt, she was pondering about venturing to Lebanon and Syria and wondered if she could bike there. That led to the idea of several women biking together. Well, ha ha, that would make the evening news now, wouldn’t it? The light bulb clicked. Under a media spotlight Detta realized that a bevy of international women cyclists could capture media attention with messages of peace and justice. Detta turned to one of the Arab men and asked, “Well, Hani, what will you do during the ride?” And he replied, “Well, I guess I’ll just follow the women.” Boom. Follow the Women was born.
Royal support. In August of 2003, Detta and Yiota Kamaratos of Cyprus (right, with Lina Arafat at Yassir Arafat's tomb, 2008) joined Sahar Al Fayes of
Jordan in Amman to plan the ride. They met with HRH Princess Basma bint Talal of Jordan who gave her patronage to the project. Sahar went to Syria and Lebanon to make contacts and get support. Everything seemed like a “go” for an autumn ride but it was postponed for an indefinite time the following spring. A mere two months before the inaugural ride of April, 2004 it was still a dream.
Pre-ride Scouting. In February of 2004, Detta went to Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to investigate if Follow the Women could actually happen and to secure concrete support and authorization for the ride. Colleen McGuire of the U.S. team accompanied her where they rendezvoused with Yiota 
Kamaratos of Cyprus and Bruno Neto of Portugal in Jordan. They met with local NGOs, sat for media interviews, explained the event’s needs to government officials and scouted bike routes. A major turning point was Detta’s private meeting with the First Lady of Syria, Madame Asma Assad, who was and remains FTW’s most ardent supporter. A frenzied two months later the first Follow the Women bike ride took place in April, 2004. Along with Ziad Nasr of Lebanon, Fares Kalles of Syria was instrumental in the lead-up to the ride and the ride itself. Fares is at left with Detta Regan and her daughter Becky.
Origin of the Bicycles. Detta figured each rider would bring her own bicycle, but Colleen who runs a cycle tour company balked at that idea. Her mission in Lebanon was to find a bike rental shop. She asked their local host Ziad Nasr of the Progressive Youth Organization (an eventual ride sponsor) and he vaguely recalled that from his office window he could see some kind of bike operation going on. They approached Beirut By Bike's manager Jawad Sbeity who listened politely as they explained that fifty to one hundred women 
needed bikes to cycle from Lebanon to Jordan. Jawad said to himself “These ladies are crazy” and forgot about them the moment they left. But following a flurry of local media coverage and a private meeting with the First Lady of Lebanon, when Detta and Colleen returned to Jawad to finalize a deal he realized they were absolutely serious about this outrageous event and he dropped all doubts and jumped on board to help. Jawad and his crew have been with Follow the Women for every single ride. It must be acknowledged loud and clear that without Jawad Sbeity’s loyalty, patience and professionalism Follow the Women could not happen. He is our most unheralded angel and all the ladies LOVE him.
Organizing the Rides. After the inaugural 2004 ride, a bike ride has been held roughly every 18 months thereafter. It is amazing the bike rides happen. Imagine trying to gather a multi-national troop of several hundred women to bicycle in the notoriously volatile Middle East. Imagine moreover trying to arrange the event’s logistics with Middle East government agencies, dealing with passports and visas, security and police escorts, not to mention food and accommodations for several hundred adrenalin-charged ladies for up to two weeks. Finally, imagine the organizational constraints with no office, no salaried employee, no project manager, no infrastructure. Just email, passionate volunteers and alot of gumption --- and, of course, the unparalleled hospitality and kindness of our hosts.
Aims & Objectives. Follow the Women follows no set ideology,philsophy or political position. Each rider has her own point of view. The organization does, however, expect participants to adhere to our Aims & Objectives (opens new window) which were developed during a conference in Bilbao in December, 2005. The international FTW based in England and registered as a charity has its Aims & Objectives which compliment the Bilbao principles.
Participation costs. The generosity of the host countries and local organizations and corporations has allowed many to participate at minimal cost. Read who they are at Support. Participants pay a modest registration fee of 500 euros (about $730 by 2010 rates), airfare to the region and about $160 to rent one of Jawad’s bikes. Everything else is taken care of by our hosts --- accommodations, meals, water and snacks, airport pick-ups, bus transfers and visas.
Team Fundraising. Most participants come from Europe and the Middle East. See participating countries. Teams tend to raise money in their home countries to pay for the airfare, registration and bike rental. Some teams secure corporate sponsorship and get outfitted in snazzy cycling jerseys (always the Danes!). We also raise money for FTW projects, such as medical kits to Gaza by the Jordan FTW team or funds for a children’s counseling center in Ramallah for youth mentally harmed by the Occupation. The British FTW team initiated an ambitious and successful playground project in Jericho and Al Ram. Click here to see FTW Projects
Photo Banner ,Mrs. Abdel Latif of Jordan, Detta Regan, Rasha Abdel Latif of Jordan, by Betsy Schwartz, California
Photo Gallery Top Left Detta Regan, UK, Madame Lahoud First Lady of Lebanon, Colleen McGuire, NY (2004) -- Top Center Ziad Nasr, Lebanon by Colleen McGuire, NY Top Right Detta Regan, UK and Sahar al Fayes, Jordan, -- Middle Left, Luisa Trigila of Italy with Lebanese hosts, by Kristina of Lithuania Middle Center, Sahar Saleh, UAE in Bedouin Tent, by Marta Sara, Jordan-- Middle Right, Hala Khoury with elders by Marc-Rainer Rosel, Germany Bottom Left Marta Sara of Germany and Marisa Meiste, of Netherlands married and living in Jordan, Bottom Center, Shirley Clarke, UK with Teddy, by Marta Sara Bottom Right, Detta Regan, Foutah Younes, HRH Queen Rania, photo by Marta Sara