‘Bend it like Beckham’ is a story of a young woman, a British-Indian girl named Jess, pursuing her dream of becoming a professional soccer player, against all odds. She faced challenges because of her sex but also because of her culture and the expectations associated with both. While inspirational, it is a fictional story. However, recent developments in Afghanistan, and civil society’s response to it, has resulted in one of the most inspirational stories, teaching young women to pursue their dreams no matter the obstacles.
An Afghan boy watches a game of soccer being played in the background in Chaman-e-Hozori park in … [+]
Under the rule of the Taliban, a woman has a particular place in society. It is a place hidden from public view, a place of subordination and obedience to a man. It is a place where a woman cannot hold any important positions, for example, as judges, lawyers, politicians or journalists. It is also a place where a woman should not do sports, including play soccer.
After the Taliban took over control of the country, women in sport came under threat for daring to pursue their dreams. Among them were girl soccer players. Some of them fled to Pakistan to await resettlement in another country. Some stayed to await rescue from Afghanistan.
In the case of the Afghan Women and Girls Development Football Team, their plea for help caught the eye of Andrea Radrizzani, an Italian businessman and the majority owner of Premier League football club Leeds United. Radrizzani engaged an international sport for development charity, Play for Change, to provide assistance to the girls. The group, consisting of 32 female soccer players, some as young as 12, together with their family members and coaches, bringing the number to 132, were offered a new chance in life.
Among others, they secured resettlement for the girls and their families to the U.K., where they will be able to pursue their passion without the threats posed by the Taliban. Among those supporting the girls was Kim Kardashian, entrepreneur and business woman, but also a passionate advocate for social justice and reform. She provided funding for the plane to get the girls into safety.
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The girls and their family members will resettle in the U.K. and will be able to pursue their dream of becoming professional soccer players. Just like Jess in ‘Bend it like Beckham’, they now have that opportunity.
Another girls soccer team, the Afghanistan Youth Women’s National Team, and their family members, were evacuated to Portugal. The group of close to 80 people, with female soccer players between the ages of 14 and 16, were granted asylum in Portugal because of the dangers they faced as athletes in Afghanistan under the Taliban reign.
However, many more have been left behind. As it stands, girls and young women in Afghanistan will not get the same chance in life as their fate is sealed by the Taliban. Some reports suggest that secondary and high school girls have now been allowed to return back to school in some provinces. This is not the case for all girls across the country. Other reports suggest that girls in other regions are to return to school in 2022. However, whether they will be allowed to pursue such sports as soccer remains unknown.
