Stories of female athletes like Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey persevering in spite of their critics have captured the sports world's attention in recent weeks. But it is the story of a woman who may not even get to step on the playing field that perhaps best showcases the obstacles women in sports still face around the globe.
As of now, Niloufar Ardalan, captain of the Iranian national women’s soccer team, will not be allowed to travel to or compete in the Asian Football Federation Women’s Futsal Championship held in Malaysia later this month. The reason is her husband, who has denied her his consent to leave the country. According to Islamic law, wives must have their husbands’ approval before renewing or acquiring passports, and Ardalan’s husband has reportedly refused to give her that permission, insisting that she remain at home for their son’s first day of school on Sept. 23.
“Lady Goal,” as Ardalan is nicknamed in the Iranian athletic community, decided to speak out about this issue last week, explaining her predicament and explicating the prejudices of Iranian’s gender-specific laws.
“I wish authorities would create [measures] that would allow female athletes to defend their rights in such situations,” Ardalan told Iranian news site Nasimonline. “These games were very important to me. As a Muslim woman, I wanted to work for my country’s flag to be raised [at the games], rather than traveling for leisure and fun.”
Ardalan’s decision to publicly challenge her husband’s decision has brought renewed attention to many of the other inherently patriarchal, discriminatory regulations that Iran propounds. As Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has written, this law is just one of a bevy of statutes that hand spousal power to the men -- statutes including those relating to child custody, divorce and inheritance rights. All of which “effectively give women the status of second-class citizens."
With her beliefs in hand, the 30-year-old Ardalan has begun to make sociopolitical waves using the sport closest to her heart to address cultural issues at large. The first matter on her docket is finding a way to ensure that Iranian women who have been given the honor of playing for their country on the international stage are not prohibited from doing so by discriminatory, antiquated laws.
“Boys have the issue of military service [which prevents those who have not completed their compulsory service from traveling abroad],” she explained to sports newspaper Goal, “A solution is found for them, and something should be done for women as well.”
“What is the difference between us?” Ardalan added.
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