Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, states that supporting female athletes in Afghanistan, especially those in exile, symbolizes “courage and bravery” and serves as a form of resistance against restrictions.
In an interview with CNN, Ms. Yousafzai expressed her desire for immediate and serious action from global sports organizations to recognize and support women’s sports teams in Afghanistan.
She emphasized, “They (international sports organizations) can certainly find opportunities for these players to compete. This is a form of resistance against the ruling government; when we empower Afghan women to play.”
She added, “The current government has literally banned women from sports, education, and work, and activists in Afghanistan refer to the current situation as ‘gender apartheid.'”
She pointed to the fate of the Afghan women’s national football team, which went into exile after the current government’s takeover in 2021 and is now based in Australia.
Malala, who met with this team during the Women’s World Cup, has urged FIFA to officially recognize them.
However, despite FIFA’s approval of an action strategy for women’s football in Afghanistan, no official recognition for this team has yet been issued.
Marsel Sadat, one of the players on the Afghan women’s football team, also stated in the interview, “We have already missed the chance to compete in two World Cups. FIFA must act to stop gender discrimination and ensure that women and girls in Afghanistan are not forgotten.”
Malala Yousafzai referred to a recent initiative by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which formed a special group to support Afghan women cricketers in exile.
She stressed, “We can do a lot for all Afghan women in exile who have put their lives at risk. Creating opportunities for women’s football and cricket teams in Afghanistan is not only just but also sends a clear message to the current government that women will not remain silent.”
Ms. Yousafzai urged global sports organizations to challenge themselves to create social change, stating: “They cannot tell us that supporting these women is difficult. Sports belong to athletes, not to politicians or ideologies.”
