Women's football in Afghanistan

Football in Afghanistan has traditionally been played by men as women were prevented from participating in sports.^[1][2]

During the Islamic Republic era, a women's team was set up to promote the game.^[3] Even so many women experienced prejudice for playing the sport during this period.^[4][5][6]

The 2019 FIFA life ban on the Afghanistan Football Federation president from all football-related activity after an investigation found him guilty of “having abused his position and sexually abused various female players” underlined the grave challenges that Afghan women athletes faced even before the Taliban takeover.^[7][8]

Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, women have been banned from participating in any sport, including football.^[9][10][11]

See also

• Football in Afghanistan

References

1. "Women's football in Afghanistan". BBC. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
2. Johannsen, Alissa (26 July 2011). "Afghanistan Women: Kicking and Dreaming | Women's Health Magazine". Womenshealthmag.com. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
3. "Kicking tradition". New Statesman. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
4. "Afghan women footballers kick off". BBC. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
5. "Afghan women footballers risk death threats, disapproval". CNN. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
6. Marzban, Omid (13 September 2007). "Afghanistan: Once Whipped By Taliban, Girl Makes Mark As Soccer Star". Rferl.org. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
7. Wrack, Suzanne (8 June 2019). "Afghanistan's football president banned for life for sexual abuse". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
8. Wrack, Suzanne (14 July 2020). "Former Afghan football president's life ban for abusing female players upheld". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
9. Beaumont, Peter (8 September 2021). "Afghan women to be banned from playing sport, Taliban say". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
10. "Female Athletes Flee Afghanistan as Taliban Bar Women in Sports". Bloomberg.com. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
11. "Afghanistan: the national women's football team that isn't – DW – 03/21/2023". Deutsche Welle. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.