To mark International Women’s Day (Friday 8th March), Skateistan has published a series of stories of its students and staff who are defying expectations and gender stereotypes. The award-winning international NGO has been empowering children through skateboarding and education for over 10 years and focuses particularly on involving girls in its activities.
Students and staff will be celebrating International Women’s Day at Skate Schools in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, where Skateistan is proud to have over 50% female students.
Mazar-e-Sharif, a city in the North of Afghanistan, has the highest concentration of female skateboarders anywhere in the world, thanks to Skateistan’s Skate School there. For many female students, the indoor Skate Schools are the only places where they can exercise, as girls are often discouraged from taking part in sport or physical activity.
One such student is Atefa*, who is 14 and lives in Mazar-e-Sharif. When she first came to Skateistan her family worried that it was inappropriate for a girl, and banned her from attending. After an intervention from Skateistan’s Community Educator, Atefa’s father visited Skateistan, which is the largest indoor sports facility in Afghanistan. Having seen the activities, he was reassured that it was beneficial for Atefa and allowed her to return.
Atefa recently became the first girl in Afghanistan to land a kickflip and she now takes part in the Youth Leadership program, building up her skills for the future and helping younger students both in the classroom and the skatepark.
Atefa said of her experience:
“It makes me really happy that my family allowed to me come to Skateistan again! My family’s mind has changed about girls’ ability. Now I can do everything that my brothers are doing and I hope that all the parents around Afghanistan know that girls have power to do everything like boys.”
Skateistan’s staff team is also over 50% female and their belief in women’s empowerment stretches beyond their students. Also featured in the Skateistan series for International Women’s Day is Zainab Husseini, General Manager of the Skate School in Mazar-e-Sharif. As well as managing Skateistan’s largest Skate School with over 1,300 students each week, Zainab has also defied gender stereotypes herself by participating in a number of endurance races in Afghanistan, such as the Bamyan marathon and an ultra marathon in the Gobi desert, despite a lack of space where she could train. She is a pioneer and a role model for women’s sports in Afghanistan and worldwide.
Zainab said of her motivation to work with Skateistan:
“It was because Skateistan was working with girls and I, as a girl, had had a very bad experience with sports in my life. I used to do Taekwondo in a private club, but the police came one day and closed it down because they said that sport is not for girls. Taekwondo ended then for me. So when I saw that Skateistan was working with girls, I knew that this opportunity was for me. Skateistan is a great place for girls to do sports and learn many other things, and a place to make your dreams come true.”
The full series Skate Girls: Dreaming Big can be seen on Skateistan’s blog. The NGO, which was founded in Kabul now also has Skate Schools in Mazar-e-Sharif, Phnom Penh and Johannesburg and has over 2,500 regular students. 50% of its students are girls. Its programs combine skateboarding with creative education to provide children with safe spaces, life skills and the opportunity to break down deep social barriers by mixing with children from different backgrounds.
