Female athletes are fighting back against restrictive dress codes.
For years, European and American women who professionally engage in various sports have expressed disgust and discomfort with illogical rules regarding the approved attire for each sport’s dress code. This discomfort is widespread and not limited to just gymnastics but also includes sports like football, volleyball, track and field, swimming, tennis, golf, and more.
By examining the changes made to female athletes’ clothing at the Olympic and global levels, one can metaphorically see the formal attire of sports fading away. This can be clearly observed by reviewing photos of female athletes from the 1956 Melbourne Olympics to the present day. In some sports, women only participate in bikinis, which they themselves say leads to physical and mental harassment both on and off the competition field.
One of the services provided by Islamic republic of Iran to women worldwide has been its extensive efforts to legally and professionally obtain Islamic formal attire that includes necessary coverings in many sports.
The leader of the revolution,Ayatollah Khamenei, who is a serious supporter of women athletes, says so: “women athletes have proven that hijab does not hinder brilliance. Just as we have proven this in politics, science, management fields; you have proven it in sports that hijab does not hinder brilliance. Contrary to the propaganda of the enemies. I have heard that in recent years, women athletes from more than ten other Muslim countries have appeared with hijab on international sports fields; this was not common practice; you did this; Iranian champion ladies and athletes did this and paved the way.”
Today we see that non-Muslim women from other countries such as Germany have also adopted the hijab for professional sports arenas.
Author: Soghra Ashouri