The Ban on Women's Sports in Afghanistan after the Taliban Takeover
Author
Dalgaard, Christina Hymøller
Term
4. term
Publication year
2022
Pages
51
Abstract
This thesis examines how the Taliban’s August 2021 takeover and the subsequent ban on women’s sports affect Afghan women and girls who participate in sport, and why such participation is problematic for the Taliban. The case study combines video materials on women and sports in Afghanistan after the takeover—including interviews and statements from female athletes, Taliban representatives, and other relevant actors—with a theoretical framework drawing on Martha C. Nussbaum’s capabilities approach and empowerment theories by Jo Rowlands, Naila Kabeer, and Srilatha Batliwala. This approach is used to understand the ban’s impact on women’s substantive freedoms to do and be, and how empowerment through sport can challenge gendered power relations. The analysis finds that female athletes face uncertainty and risk, prompting many to hide or flee; the ban diminishes their capabilities and contributes to disempowerment. Women’s sports are seen as problematic by the Taliban due to a conservative interpretation of Islam intertwined with traditional gender norms and patriarchal power structures, making enhanced capabilities and empowerment among women a perceived threat to its control. The social activism of female athletes further amplifies this challenge by spreading empowerment and improved capabilities to other women and girls.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan Talibans magtovertagelse i august 2021 og det efterfølgende forbud mod kvinders sport påvirker afghanske kvinder og piger, der dyrker sport, og hvorfor sådan deltagelse er problematisk for Taliban. Casen analyseres ved at kombinere videomaterialer om kvinders sport i Afghanistan efter overtagelsen—herunder interviews og udtalelser fra kvindelige atleter, repræsentanter for Taliban og andre relevante aktører—med et teoretisk rammeværk baseret på Martha C. Nussbaums kapabilitetstilgang samt empowermentteorier af Jo Rowlands, Naila Kabeer og Srilatha Batliwala. Tilgangen bruges til at belyse, hvordan forbuddet påvirker kvinders reelle friheder til at gøre og være, og hvordan empowerment gennem sport kan udfordre kønnede magtrelationer. Analysen viser, at kvindelige atleter befinder sig i en usikker situation, hvilket får mange til at skjule sig eller flygte; forbuddet reducerer deres kapabiliteter og bidrager til disempowerment. Kvinders sportsdeltagelse anses som problematisk af Taliban på grund af en konservativ fortolkning af islam, sammenvævet med traditionelle kønsnormer og patriarkalske magtstrukturer, hvilket gør øgede kapabiliteter og empowerment blandt kvinder til en oplevet trussel mod deres kontrol. Kvindelige atleters sociale aktivisme forstærker yderligere denne udfordring ved at sprede empowerment og forbedrede kapabiliteter til andre kvinder og piger.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]