FIFA urged to recognize Afghanistan women’s football team in exile amid Taliban rule – JURIST

The Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA) called on FIFA on Tuesday to take action to recognize the Afghan women’s football team in exile as the representative of Afghanistan to ensure their return to international competition, after being banned in 2021 when the Taliban took power in the country.

The SRA noted that denying Afghan women in exile the right to play football in international competitions constitutes discrimination, as the ban affects not only women living in Afghanistan but also women athletes in exile. According to the group, the denial violates FIFA Statutes, the Human Rights Policy, and UN guiding principles on business and human rights. FIFA statutes and its human rights policy prohibit discrimination of any kind, including gender discrimination, and require all member associations to comply with the organization’s regulations, including the obligation to prevent and oppose discrimination.

The SRA also described the Afghanistan Women’s National Football Team (AWNT)’s struggle to defend Afghan players’ rights to play football and represent their country in international competitions. The report condemned the Afghan Football Federation’s refusal to support or recognize the women’s football team, which led to their exclusion from international competitions for four years. It stated that this refusal violated Afghanistan’s obligations as a FIFA member.

The rights alliance concluded its report with several recommendations for FIFA, urging it to take effective decisions to restore Afghan women’s right to play sports. This includes officially recognizing the team in exile to allow them to compete in international competitions as representatives of Afghanistan, providing financial support for the team’s training, and using their influence to restore Afghan girls’ right to play sports.

Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Afghan women and girls were banned from playing competitive sports. Consequently, Afghanistan’s national women’s football team had to leave the country and seek refuge in foreign countries. Furthermroe, FIFA’s current regulations require the women’s football team to obtain recognition from the Afghanistan Football Federation, which is controlled by the Taliban. As a result, the AWNT has no way to compete in international competitions unless FIFA intervenes on their behalf to grant them recognition.

Since regaining power, the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghan women and girls that resulted in their exclusion from public life. This includes a ban on secondary education for girls and prohibitions on speaking in public or appearing on television. The UN Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has described the Taliban’s policies as “systematic gender-based discrimination” that targets fundamental rights such as the right to education, access to healthcare, and freedom of movement.