A path to empowerment: MENA women in sport

On 6 June, the business-to-business network Women in Middle East & North Africa (WiMENA) held its inaugural conference in London at Chelsea Football Club’s prestigious Stamford Bridge stadium.

This one-day symposium was a chance for women to get the spotlight and the recognition they deserve. It also gave an opportunity to showcase the ever-growing sports opportunities on offer for women from the region.

In much of the Middle East and North Africa, gender stereotypes still discourage women from participating in sports that are traditionally seen as male, so the event acted as encouragement to further break down barriers.

A star line-up of exceptional speakers offered emotional and raw insights into their own stories, experiences, and perspectives. Athletes and sportswomen were there to show that girls and women can achieve great things if sport is accessible to them.

Middle East minister Baroness Elizabeth Symons, Paralympian Baroness Grey-Thomson, Saudi ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud, and Saudi ambassador to the United States Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud were among the speakers in an early session.

The theme was about using sport as a messenger and catalyst for gender equality in society. As WiMENA co-founders Laura Curtis and Tara Thomas explained, sport can be a springboard to greater change, both socially and individually.

“Sports is accepted as providing a platform for wider social and economic change,” they said. “Playing a sport contributes to building self-esteem and reinforces invaluable lessons of self-worth for women and young girls.”

Change of perception

The world is changing. Professional female athletes have led the growth in women’s sports internationally. Unthinkable only a few decades ago, women’s professional football is now watched by millions around the globe on primetime TV.

This is a promising time for women in sport and interest in the Middle East has grown. “We are witnessing an upsurge in investment in sports around the Arab world,” said Baroness Symons, who chairs the Arab British Chamber of Commerce.

She added that there were now “many innovative policies in sports that are helping to transform and diversify local economies”.

The conference was moderated by former professional football referee Janie Frampton. Vice President of the International Federation for Sports Officials (IFSO) and Patron of the Muslim Women’s Network in the UK, she has worked with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, among others.

“The importance of highlighting and sharing stories of women working and participating in all aspects of sports, from community sports to professional sports, is crucial to increase their participation,” she said.

Their success “inspires young woman to dream” about what is possible, she explained. “Sport isn’t just winning medals. It breaks down barriers, helps life skills, and motivates people to do other things. These women inspire girls of tomorrow.”

Another speaker was seven-time Turkish Ladies Rally Champion Burcu Cetinkaya, a TV presenter and Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Women in Motorsports commission chair.

Her determination to stand out in a hugely male dominated sport led to her becoming one of the first international female drivers for Red Bull, winning medals around the world. Prior to her rally driving career, Cetinkaya was a snowboarding champion.

Women have accomplished great feats in sport, she explained, and while there are still challenges in terms of financing and prejudice, she feels that luckily that mentalities have changed.

Abbie Eaton, a British racing driver from a working-class background, recalls how “not having been born with a silver spoon in my mouth made me work harder, made me be more determined, and played a big part in my accomplishments”.

Aged 10, she persuaded her dad to buy her a go-kart. Aged 15, she was competing nationally. “Back in 2002, you could probably count on one hand the amount of female drivers that were doing that,” she says.

Amongst the boys who dominated the sport, it was a case of “whatever you do, do not let the girl beat you”. She says: “I had to race twice as hard as the boys in order to gain some respect.”

There have been huge obstacles to overcome, she explains. “It is a very expensive sport and there is still a very big stigma attached to supporting female drivers as sponsors would rider support their male drivers.”

Sarah Essam Hassanin, 25, who plays for the Egyptian Women’s national football team, gave perhaps the most emotional account. She made her footballing debut at the age of 15, but experienced difficulties along the way.

She describes having the “ambition of being mentally and physically prepared to play abroad, where greater opportunities and professionalism awaited”. She enrolled to study in the UK, and has stayed to play football in the English leagues.

Having “bigger goals and targets” than her peers, she had to believe in herself to overcome adversity. “Whenever I had setbacks or struggles, I said to myself, ‘I have a bigger dream, so I have to overcome them, or else I will just be average.’”

She has been a BBC commentator for the Women’s World Cup and, alongside David Beckham, was an ambassador for Qatar’s World Cup 2022, the first Egyptian or Arab woman to have that honour. She is also the first Egyptian footballer to sign a deal with sports giant Adidas.

“We all know Mo Salah,” she says, referring to the Egyptian footballer who plays for Liverpool and who has been hailed as one of the best players of his generation.

She came to the UK around the time that Salah signed for Liverpool, she says. “Everyone was telling me that I was the female Mo Salah! I said it’s an honour to be associated with him, but can you please call me by my own name?”

She said: “It feels great to open doors and give hope to the next generation. Have a role model to hold on to. The more you work on yourself, the more the doors will open for you.”

It capped a day of fulfilling testimony that succeeded in promoting female empowerment. With hard work and determination, dreams do come true for those that believe in them, regardless of background, ethnicity, or gender.