Making Ground: The Participation of Muslim Girls in Sport
“We still have the mindset that girls can’t participate in sports, it’s all about the boys. How can we break through that barrier? I think it’s about education and exposure.”
Safiye Asanova, the Girls PE and Health Coordinator at Al Siraat College
Today, on International Day of the Girl, we’re taking a look at the opportunities and challenges that Muslim girls’ face when participating in sport. A recent Making Ground Forum held at Al Siraat College brought together a dozen thought leaders in this area, including Rahat Arain, Co-founder and Director of Student Learning at Al Siraat College. She said that if Muslim women and girls’ can overcome the barriers that are inside their minds, they will find a plethora of opportunities.
“The biggest barriers are the ones that we place on ourselves. We think ‘what if, what if, what if’ and that conversation happening in our mind can be very disabling. While we all have differences in our likes, dislikes and beliefs, sport is one way that brings a lot of people together on common ground,” Said Arain.