SCORE! For the first time ever, girls attending public schools in Saudi Arabia can participate in physical education classes. The decision—which recently took effect—marks a big change for the conservative Middle Eastern country, known for its restrictive policies toward women and girls.
The shift is “historic,” says Lina Almaeena, the founder of the nation’s first female sports club. “Sports is empowerment.”
In Saudi Arabia, women are forbidden to drive and must wear abayas (black head-to-toe cloaks) in public. They also need permission from a male relative to travel, see a doctor, and open a bank account.
Girls in Saudi Arabia couldn’t go to school until the 1950s, and today classes remain segregated by gender. In 2013, education officials began allowing girls in some private schools to play sports. The recent decision to open up physical education classes to public schoolgirls was thanks, in part, to a nationwide effort to promote exercise.
While gym classes are a start, some people say the change isn’t enough. “When women cannot walk in the street without a male chaperone, . . . it is difficult to say that their rights are fully respected,” women’s rights advocate Massoud Maalouf recently told reporters.