Behnaz Shafiei: When I was 15 I saw a lady going around doing whatever she wanted on a motorcycle, and that is when I realised I wanted to ride one as well. There are some groups of men, when they see us they say, ‘You should stay at home and cook – this sport is not for you.’ It makes me so mad, so I want to prove them wrong.

I believe 100% that you should not make a difference between women and men. In many sports women have proven they’re just as good.

Behnaz Shafiei is one of Iran’s only female moto cross riders. CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen spoke to her about her fight for female equality in a country where women can’t even get a license to ride a motorcycle on the streets. Shafiei’s coach says she is very talented and could go far, but very few courses in Iran will allow her to practice, and she desperately needs sponsors to afford to race internationally.

The above is an exclusive episode of CNN Middle East shared as part of a partnership between B-Change and CNN.

Featured image courtesy of The Guardian