Nobel-Prize-winning activist Malala Yousafzai has always used her voice to fight for the rights of women, no matter what. Recently she’s begun rallying for Afghanistan’s elite female athletes to be granted more opportunities after they’ve been forced into exile under Taliban rule.
Malala Yousafzai is a Nobel-Prize winning activist who has always amplified her voice to fight for women’s rights, even when it puts her life in danger.
Now, Yousafzai is speaking out for Afghanistan’s elite female athletes who are currently being forced into exile under the Taliban’s rule. She’s calling on international sports organizations to show “bravery and courage” against the radical Islamist group.
In an interview with CNN, Yousafzai said: “They can definitely find opportunities for these players to play, and this is a form of resistance against the Taliban when we empower the Afghan female athletes to be able to play.”
The United Nations classifies Afghanistan under Taliban rule as the most repressive country in the world in regards to women’s rights. Secondary schools are not open to girls, women are not allowed to go to university, and male chaperones are required for any type of travel.
Women are also unable to go to public spaces such as parks and gyms, making it nearly impossible for them to leave their homes.
Yousafzai has long spoken out for women’s rights in Afghanistan. In 2012, she was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban, a group that gets its name from the Afghan Taliban. At age 17, Yousafzai became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism, two years after the attempt at her life was made.
“The Taliban have literally banned women’s sports, women’s work, and women’s education. Afghan activists call it a form of gender apartheid.”
Many of Afghanistan’s top female athletes are now unable to compete on international stages. The women’s soccer team escaped to Australia in 2021. Yousafzai met with the team two years ago during the Women’s World Cup, and has been helping them campaign to be formally recognized by FIFA.
“It was just truly heartbreaking to know that while women’s sports were thriving (during the World Cup) and we were watching these soccer games and the stadiums were full, but then, on the other hand, there is a team in the world from Afghanistan where they are not able to play in their country,” she stated.
Last month FIFA released a statement saying that its council has approved a Strategy for Action for Afghan Women’s Football to ideally make the Afghan women’s refugee team will be “operational as soon as possible.”
“We have already lost the chance to compete in two World Cups, and this will not change that,” said Afghan player Mursal Sadat.
“We urge FIFA and all its Member Associations to take all measures necessary to stop enabling the ongoing gender discrimination against the Afghanistan Women’s National Team, and to use their power to ensure the women and girls still living in Afghanistan are not forgotten.”
Afghanistan’s female cricket players are also dealing with the same issue, and in April, the International Cricket Council said they had formed a task force to support displaced women’s players from Afghanistan.
Yousafzai said that she believes organizations should be making a larger effort to support Afghanistan’s top female athletes.
“There’s so much we can do outside the country for all of these Afghan women who are in exile, who have risked their lives, and the Afghan women’s cricket team and soccer team are one of those opportunities.”
“FIFA, ICC, these are international bodies, they can definitely find opportunities for these players to play, and this is a form of resistance against the Taliban when we empower the Afghan female athletes to be able to play,” she said.
“Playing and practicing every right for Afghan women is a form of resistance, is a form of bravery and courage against the Taliban.”
A spokesperson for FIFA told CNN that it “continues to take the challenges faced by Afghan women and girls – both those who remain in Afghanistan and those who have been evacuated – very seriously.”
“[The Strategy for Action for Afghan Women’s Football] is a significant step forward – in football and for other sports” with developments set to be announced “over the coming months.”
Yousafzai is calling on sports’ most powerful organizations to really “challenge themselves” when it comes to making an actual difference for these athletes.
“They should be supporting the athletes and should not be telling us that it’s so difficult to figure out. In the end, sports is about these incredible athletes. They make the sports, and we should be trying to figure out ways for them to be able to play.”
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
