Yasmine Abdulhafeez – Women in Development and Peace
For Nada Muneer (a pseudonym), sports class was more than just a regular class. It was a weekly escape into a world of movement, activity, learning, and self-discovery. Nada remembers her childhood saying: “Sports class was the best part of school. Me and my friends would look forward to it all week. Even the teacher who led the class introduced us to different sports and information about sports and athletes.”
Nada shared her experience with Women in Development and Peace newspaper saying: “When my dad noticed how much I loved sports class, he started encouraging me to learn some sports. He was a sports lover himself, and he trained me in exercises similar to gymnastics. My ambition grew over time, and I dreamed of becoming an athlete representing my country in international competitions, winning medals, appearing on TV, and raising the winning trophy high, with a warm reception from all the fans and supporters encouraging and supporting women in sports.”
Nada’s journey took a sad turn when her father suddenly died from a heart attack. She lost not only her biggest supporter but also felt that her dream of becoming an athlete died with him.
She says bitterly: “My dad died suddenly from a heart attack, and I started facing bullying from society because I played sports. I heard so many hurtful things that made me think about giving up the sports I learned from my dad. Stuff like, ‘It’s not right for you to be doing this, you’re a girl! Why do you want to be a sports player, are you a boy?! You want to copy men?’ These kinds of comments made me realize that my dream wouldn’t be possible.”
Nada got married and had three children, but she never forgot her love for sports and passion for it. She says: “I still remember how much passion I had for sports. But society’s negative view of women in sports was a huge obstacle for me. It’s still an obstacle for many girls who dream of joining this field.”
The sports sector in Yemen, as in many Arab societies, is still seen as exclusive to men, not women. Some people have this wrong idea that women in sports are wrong or even ‘Haram’ – forbidden, so women’s sports in Yemen face many challenges that hinder its progress and frustrate its future ambitions to be a strong force and partner in developing this important sector for the country.
Even though Yemeni women are making great efforts to overcome these challenges, they still face many obstacles that prevent their participation in the sports sector and convince society that a woman’s presence in this field is not a crime, but rather her right to practice sports that are appropriate for her situation and nature.
One of the biggest obstacles is the lack of gender equality in sports. The number of women in leadership positions in sports is still very low compared to men. Women are also limited to certain jobs, often with lower salaries than their male counterparts, and their role in making sports decisions at the national level is marginalized, with their participation restricted to certain types of sports.
Women’s sports in Yemen do not receive enough support from the government, whether in terms of providing specialized sports facilities or allocating budgets to support their participation in local and international sporting events.
Scarce Job Opportunities
There’s no doubt that Yemeni women, like women all over the world, face many challenges on their journey to achieving their ambitions and goals, especially when it comes to reaching leadership positions in sports.
Randa Al-Ziadi, a media personality, sheds light on some of these obstacles in her interview with Women in Development and Peace newspaper, pointing out that: “The problem isn’t that there are laws prohibiting women from taking leadership positions, but rather that there are hidden obstacles. For example, some women, due to their personal beliefs, prefer home life over working and reaching leadership positions.”
However, Al-Ziadi emphasizes that many women have a spirit of adventure and are determined to continue working and reach leadership positions. But these women face invisible harassment that forces them to abandon their ambitions and give up on achieving the positions they desire.
Al-Ziadi clarifies some forms of this harassment, saying: “In some work environments, women may face indirect harassment from male colleagues, or psychological harassment from female colleagues or those around them. These factors negatively affect a woman’s psyche and lead her to surrender and give up on her dreams of reaching leadership positions.”
The challenges faced by Yemeni women in the workplace are not limited to harassment alone. Al-Ziadi points to the existence of other difficulties, such as wage inequality between men and women, and women not receiving the same opportunities in training and professional development.
Randa Al-Ziadi also explains that women’s representation in the government sector is very small, as confirmed by numerous studies. There are many sectors where women’s representation is extremely low compared to men. For example, in a government institution, there may be 500 male employees and only three women.
Al-Ziadi asserts that this significant disparity in the numbers of women and men in various institutions limits women’s opportunities to hold leadership positions, even if they are qualified for such positions.
In addition, Al-Ziadi points out that “Yemeni women tend to work in specific fields, such as education and medicine, because they believe these fields are easier and more comfortable than others, such as sports.” She believes that there is not enough interest from the state in promoting the concept of a “sports economy,” which reduces opportunities to encourage women to get involved in this field.
The Social Exclusion
The importance of women’s sports is not limited to being a physical activity that contributes to improving women’s physical and mental health. It goes beyond that to become a symbol of empowerment, liberation, and boosting women’s self-confidence.
This is what fitness trainer Intisar Muhsin Al-Mudhaffari confirms, as she believes that through practicing sports, women transcend the boundaries and limitations sometimes imposed on them in society, proving their ability to achieve accomplishments and succeed in various fields.
Al-Mudhaffari points out that expanding the circle of women’s sports practice reflects a positive change in the social view of the role of women. She believes that sports become a means of promoting equality and achieving comprehensive community development. She emphasizes that women’s participation in various games and sports contributes to changing the traditional concept of sports to include all segments of society, regardless of gender or nationality.
She also points out that in many areas of Yemen, women have not been encouraged to participate in physical activities. There was a misconception that sports are too strenuous for the weaker sex. As a result, many women were excluded from competitive events, and their athletic abilities were underestimated.
Randa Al-Ziadi, a media professional, notes that the social view of women’s sports in Yemen is still somewhat conservative. She says that girls engaging in sports, especially certain types of sports, are seen as disgraceful and against customs and traditions. This is attributed to a social, intellectual, and cultural heritage that reinforces the idea that sports are not a priority for girls and that many types of sports fall under the category of “shame.”
Al-Ziadi touches on the state of women’s sports in Yemen in general, saying, “The ongoing conflict in the country for over a decade has negatively impacted all sectors, including the sports sector. This impact has affected the lives of Yemenis in general, women and men, leading to a significant decline in the level of women’s sports.”
She also points out that the lack of sports infrastructure in Yemen is one of the most significant challenges. There are still a small number of women’s sports clubs and they are not present throughout the country. They also suffer from a lack of equipment and sports tools, negatively affecting the quality of training and the opportunities available for women to practice sports.
She adds, “The difficult economic conditions experienced by Yemenis also hinder women’s participation in sports. Under these circumstances, sports become a luxury that many cannot afford. The relationship between the level of social well-being and women’s participation in sports is a direct one. The higher the level of well-being, the greater the opportunities for women to participate in various sports activities.”
Efforts to Engage Women in Sports
Al-Ziadi says one of the biggest challenges is the lack of sports events specifically for women. There are way more events for men than for women, which limits women’s opportunities to participate in sports, achieve accomplishments, and stand out. There’s also the issue of traditions and customs getting in the way.
Al-Ziadi wraps up by saying, “Even though women’s sports in Yemen face a lot of challenges, they have a huge potential to grow and thrive. To make that happen, we need everyone involved to work together and change the way society views women’s sports. We need to support women’s participation in all areas of sports. The situation of women’s sports in Yemen, which has less space than men’s sports, isn’t unique; it’s the same in many Arab countries.”
However, it’s important to note that some efforts are being made to boost women’s involvement in sports in Yemen. These programs include things like how to cover sports events through writing, taking photos, and putting together sports programs and scripts, along with other things that go into covering sports.
In recent years, a bunch of training and qualification programs have been launched to empower Yemeni women and girls in sports journalism. These programs give a lot of women and girls who want to participate in different aspects of sports a chance to do so, whether it’s covering events or reaching different positions in the sports sector.
Yemeni women have all the potential and skills to shine and achieve great things in all fields, including sports. All they need is belief in their own abilities and the chance to prove their worth and skills in all fields.
