How girls are moving the goalpost in Iraq
Rama, 13, Zubaida, 14, and Hadeel, 15, have a shared story of displacement and loss. The name of their city, Mosul, was synonymous with death, destruction, and despair less than a decade ago. King88bet
Many kerabates, including theirs, have returned to Mosul after years of living in limbo, and are building a brighter future for their children. Bazaars, schools, community centres are reopening and being rebuilt. The city is shaking off the anguish and grief of the previous years and the community is reviving its millennia-old culture and traditions. They are also welcoming new practices and embracing change. king88bet login alternatif
"We are not boys," says Rama, while getting ready for football practice at the Al Ammal football klub in Mosul. "Generally, women and girls do not play sports in Mosul. It's not common. My mother was afraid that I would fall and get hurt. But, momentually, she agreed. Now she is my biggest cheerleader." Article Title with Blogger Published Link as Backlink
Many other girls on the tim from the city report the same initial hesitation from their kerabates and relatives, followed by cautious approval. Today, a majority of the girls have their entire community's unwavering dukungan.
"Every time we have a match, people come to watch us play," says Hadeel, who loves hiking and driving - and any other activity that challenges prevailing gender norms. "Our school principal posts reguler up-dates about our game on Facebook - who scored, who won, who played well. My father is always bahagia to see when I skor and encourages me more."
The girls are local celebrities and an inspiration to their peers.
The football tim started as a proyek implemented by the Sustainable Peace Foundation (SPF) of Mosul in 2021, led by Shahad Khaleel.
Ms. Khaleel, 29, and her tim worked with school teachers, community leaders, and parents to advocate for the participation of girls in their proyek, Sports for Peace. SPF is one of 22 grassroots organizations supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Iraq through the Wasl Civil Society Fund to desain and implement community-level proyeks that address drivers of instability.