Voice of British Muslim Women

Sameea Jonnud, Aldershot

Why Are Girls Dropping Sport In Such Great Numbers?

A recent study by England Hockey’s Tess Howard, published in the journal Sport, Education and Society found that gendered sports uniforms played a major part in the high drop out rate in sports of teenage girls. Among those taking part in the research, 70% reported incidents of girls dropping sport at school due to clothing and body image. Another study recently showed the shocking fact that by the age of 14, only 10% of girls meet physical activity health standards.

For Muslim women, this subject is familiar as clothing requirements in sport have posed a problem with prospective athletes put off due to tight fitting or revealing kit. It often begins in primary school where some gym equipment requires shorts or tight-fitting leggings and if the reasons aren’t explained to them, young girls feel singled out and reluctant to take part in future PE activities. As they get older that reluctance remains as many sports have uniforms that are tight or include short skirts so Muslim girls that may have an aptitude for sports, stop taking part altogether.

I’ve personally seen many examples of sports activities run by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association where women and girls ranging from an eighty years plus woman who hikes and takes part in yoga, to schoolgirls, enthusiastically play a variety of sports wearing comfortable leggings and t-shirts. This is significant but only a small step and it is schools and sports clubs who should be leading the way in allowing modest attire so girls are not discouraged from taking part and physical fitness becomes a regular and comfortable part of their lives.

The athletes fightback has begun, however, as during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the German women’s gymnastics team wore red and white unitards with full length legs as a stand against sexualisation of women in sport. After the Norwegian women’s handball team was fined for, ironically, ‘inappropriate dress’, the handball federation eventually changed ‘sexist’ uniform rules to allow shorts rather than bikini bottoms. A start maybe, but it’s only a drop in the ocean and vividly shows the need for change and the fact that it is possible.

Lack of participation in sport is harming both the physical and mental health of girls and Tess Howard’s research shows just how important it is for changes to be made so women feel comfortable and stop dropping out of sports.