Victory for women: Afghanistan to send 17 women to Asian Games

Good news for women in Afghanistan! Is Afghanistan finally considering women’s rights? Can Taliban safeguard women’s freedoms and rights? 

The National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, former Afghanistan National Olympic Committee, has said it will send 17 female athletes to compete in three sports at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. 

Afghanistan National Olympic Committee said on Tuesday, “Afghanistan will shine brightly as it proudly boasts the highest number of female athletes ever to grace the Asian Games stage.”

The Afghanistan National Olympic Committee confirmed that a total of 17 women athletes would take part at the Asian Games in China. The National Olympic Committee further said, “NOC Afghanistan will field dedicated team officials across three disciplines: athletics, cycling and volleyball.”

The Afghan NOC also gave three scholarships to female athletes, paving the way for their participation at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

The eagerly anticipated Asian Games 2023 will be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, from September 23 to October 8.

IOC warns Afghanistan over women’s rights

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the supreme authority of the worldwide modern Olympic Movement, previously warned Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers over the women’s rights situation in the country.

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Last year, the IOC told the Taliban that allowing women and girls to participate in sports was a condition for Afghanistan’s representation at the 2024 Paris Games.

The IOC also urged the Taliban to allow some access to sports for girls at primary schools. The IOC went on to express concerns over the sports situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.

Before the Taliban takeover, a number of women and girls played a variety of sports. According to The Associated Press, after the Taliban takeover of the country, the Taliban rulers warned women and young girls not to engage in sports, causing many women to flee the country.

Women in Afghanistan are suffering

When the Taliban took over Afghanistan, women’s rights were crushed. The Taliban rulers excluded women from public life.

According to reports, more than 50 decrees have been published against women in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover of the country. They put a ban on women’s jobs and education. Due to Taliban restrictions, they lost their jobs and careers, resulting in financial dependency. The Taliban also banned young girls and women from using parks, gyms and public bath houses.