On July 11th, 2017, the Education Ministry of Saudi Arabia announced the reversal of its longstanding ban on sports for women and girls in public schools, physical education classes are to be implemented in public schools from September 2017, allowing schools time to find qualified instructors and arrange the required facilities.
Unfortunately, even after the reversal of this ban, there are still many hurdles such as the Saudi male guardianship system preventing women from fully accessing the education and health benefits of sports. Physical exercise for women has been a controversial topic for many in the country, with some religious authorities deeming it immoral, regardless of the approval from the Saudi Shura Council for female sports back in 2014. Even so, the removal of this ban is a huge step forward for Saudi girls.
Valid question raised by Saudi activist and artist about the monumental decision announced today to allow sports in girls’ public schools: https://t.co/JHb3gVQnPm
— Aya Batrawy (@ayaelb) July 11, 2017
“We don’t have the logistics, location or setting and a decree such as this is not as easy as many believe it is… [but] I’m an optimist and rather than looking back, we should all look forward.” said Lina Almaeena, a Shura Council member, speaking to Saudi news website Arab News.
The move is part of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious ‘Vision 2030’, a set of reforms aiming to modernise the Kingdom’s economy, making it less dependent on revenue gained through its depleting oil reserves.
