The ultra-conservative Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has dropped the barrier on females participating in athletic activities, the Education Ministry said Sunday. But this refers only to private schools, exempting a vast majority of kids.
The ministry decree published in Saudi newspapers says that
private schools for girls have been told to "put into effect a
number of rules to regulate sports," Agence France-Presse.
Although the reforms are being hailed as a progressive move in the
predominantly-Muslim country, the measure appears to exclude the
majority of students at state-run schools.
At private schools, where the initiatives are being encouraged, the
government has requested that school officials ensure girls wear
"a covering and decent outfit" for sport activities in
"suitable areas."
The ministry directive also advised that female Saudi instructors
receive top priority for employment positions at the educational
facilities.
The ministry pointed out that some private schools were already
offering physical education, but without any regulations to
follow.
The issue of Saudi women participating in sporting competition
entered the spotlight during the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Saudi officials threatened to withdraw from the Games when the
International Olympic Committee ruled that its female judo
participant, Wojdan Shaherkani, could not wear a headscarf during
competition.
Eventually the two sides came to agreement over the dispute, and
the Olympic Committee allowed Shaherkani to “wear something that
would not compromise her safety.”
Today, many details in the lives of Saudi women are closely
regulated by Sharia law derived from the Koran. Every adult woman
is required to have a close male relative as her ‘guardian’, who is
authorized to make a number of decisions on a woman's behalf,
including the right to travel, to start a business, and study at
university.
Saudi women are prohibited from driving, and are required to cover
themselves in public, among other restrictions.