In early September, The new Taliban government in Afghanistan announced a ban on women who practice sports in the country. The announcement joined others who paint a gloomy image of the future for women and girls in the country. Unfortunately, it seems that once they are condemned to invisibility and subjugation, which will be relegated to the private and deprived sphere of their rights. Among them, the right to practice sport. Is there anything that the international community can do to avoid this?
‘Every human being has a fundamental right to physical education, physical activity and sport without discrimination based on ethnicity, genderSexual orientation, language, religion, political opinion or other, national or social origin, property or any other basis’ (emphasis added).
In relation, in particular, with women and girls, the third paragraph of the same article establishes that
‘Equal opportunities to participate and participate in all supervision and decision -making levels in physical education, physical activity and sport, either for recreation, promotion of health or high performance, is the right of all girls and all women.
Despite the strength of these international provisions, we all know that reality is quite different. And not only in Afghanistan. The discrimination of women in sports is common and has been repeatedly denounced (see Gentleman” Gentleman and Gentleman). The reasons behind this situation are deep and have to do with the prevailing stereotypes about what the role of women in society should be.
But let’s see again to the prohibition proclaimed by the new Taliban government and the question asked above: what can the international community do to protect the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan? At present, when this new government seems to be the recognition of the international community, to make the fulfillment of the basic standards of human rights seem fundamental to me. No State should consider a government legitimate that so flagrantly violates the rights of women and girls, even if that government demonstrates its ability to effectively control the territory and its population. Among these rights is, of course, the right of access to sport and physical activity. This is in no way a minor problem. The right to sports is, first, directly related to the guarantee of other human rights, such as the right to health or the right to education. It is also a fundamental tool in the socialization process and, therefore, can contribute to the social and economic empowerment of women. However, never, the fight against gender discrimination in sports has been marginalized before other fields that, such as education, education of political fields, have gathered the efforts of the international community. Very likely, the reason behind this marginalization has something to do with the wrong idea that the practice of sport is socially and politically conceived as a minor or secondary need. Anyone who thinks this will be pure and simply barking the wrong tree.
In summary: The right of women and girls to sport in Afghanistan is an issue for the international community in general. It’s time to take seriously about it!
Associate Professor of Public International Law and International Relations
President of UNESCO/UC3M in educational link through international sports
Carlos III University of Madrid
