Female Afghan footballer shooting for equality, tackling taboos

"My sole intention for playing football is to promote equality and display my talent as a female in this male-dominated society," Zulina Samimi, 20, told Xinhua at a sport stadium here.

Overlooking security threats in the militancy-plagued nation, the brave girl dressed in a red sport costume and wearing a matching hat, leaves her home every morning and goes to the stadium in a rented rickshaw along with a trainee girl to practice.

"Afghanistan is a patriarchal society, it is difficult for a woman, especially for a girl, to exercise outside home and promote sport," the brave youngster said, adding with resolve, "I am determined to promote the concept of equity by promoting sport culture in this male-dominated society."

Samimi told Xinhua that her path towards achieving her dreams has been beset with obstacles. She recalled that several times she had received threatening phone calls demanding that she stop practicing football outside or she would be kidnapped and even killed.

"Come what may, I have ignored all the threats and will continue my mission to promote sport and prove the fact that women' s talent and ability is no less than men's," a brave Samimi proclaimed.

The security situation in the northern Jawzjan province is no different than the militancy-riddled neighboring Faryab and Saripul provinces where the hardliner Taliban insurgents have been fighting to regain power and impose their strict laws including confining women to their homes.

Nevertheless, the courageous Samimi and her team have been tirelessly struggling to bring women on a par with men by promoting sport in the conservative society, where people deeply respect the old and tribal traditions which oppose women's social empowerment.

As the first female promoting football in the provincial capital of Shiberghan city, Samimi revealed that she started playing soccer with three girls a couple of years ago, but is currently leading a 33-member squad of female players in Jawzjan province and the number of her teammates is rising consistently.

Despite family opposition, the number of female football players is on the rise as some educated families encourage their girls to join the football team, with the girls in turn enjoying themselves immensely," Samimi said with a beaming smile, adding, "the future of football for girls here seems promising."

Echoing Samimi's hatred of discrimination, Roya Malim, a member of another girls' football team in Jawzjan province lamented that narrow-mindedness in Afghanistan has contributed to the nation remaining one of the poorest countries.

"Cultural taboos regarding women in Afghanistan should be broken and Afghan women like their fellow women in developed countries should enjoy the right to play football, to study and to work outside of home," Malim, 22, asserted.

Afghanistan has made tremendous achievements in sports over the past decade as Afghan athletes have brought medals home from regional and international competitions, including Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games respectively.

Furthermore, the Afghan national football team secured a champion position in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship held in Nepal in 2013.

"Although the facilities are shabby and the environment is not suitable, we feel proud to display our capability as females by playing here," Karashma Farhat, another female football player, told Xinhua.

(APD)