Exploring the Challenges Faced by Muslim Women in International Sport Events: A Case Study of East Azerbaijan Female Athletes

Javani, Vajiheh; Alemi, Mina

doi:10.22124/jsmd.2024.25070.2822

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Vajiheh Javani ¹
Mina Alemi ²

¹ Associate Professor of Sport Management, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

² M.A in Sport Management, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

10.22124/jsmd.2024.25070.2822

Abstract

Objective: Muslim female athletes in the past faced many issues and problems. In addition to social and cultural obstacles in their own societies, there were also specific regulations approved by international sports institutions on their sports path that led to more problems for them. Therefore, in this research, the challenges that Muslim women faced in international sports events have been analyzed from the perspective of professional female athletes at the international level.
Methodology: The research method of the present study is qualitative. The participants of the present research include female athletes from East Azerbaijan province who have been active at the professional level and have a history of participation in international competitions. A purposive sampling method was employed, and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data.
Results: According to the analyizing of research data, 17 organizing themes and 3 main themes or overarching themes were extracted from the interviews conducted. The three main themes that were obtained are as follows: Internal obstacles (individual and cultural-social factors), external obstacles (legal mechanisms and regulations of international communities), and the role model of Muslim female athletes.
Conclusion: The international sports rules have had an impact on Muslim women's sports in East Azerbaijan province. However, the existence of gender discrimination and traditional beliefs about femininity and the role of women becomes a challenge to their presence in sports events, which requires the efforts of all institutions and stakeholders, including governments, sports organizations, media and civil society groups.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Sport Management and Development

References

Ahmadi, H., Akhavan Kazemi, M., & Abolfathi, M. (2022). Political Sociology of Sport: Identifying and Prioritizing the Factors Linking Politics and Sport. Political Sociology of Iran, 5(8), 2583-2603. [http://doi.org/10.30510/psi.2022.316182.2695] [In Persian]

Alavi, S., Pourzare, M., Farzad, G., & Mahmoudi, A. (2021). The Consequences of International Sanctions on the Sports Industry. Applied Research in Sport Management, 10(1), 115-125. [http://doi.org/10.30473/arsm.2021.7985] [In Persian]

Attride-Stirling, J. (2001). Thematic networks: an analytic tool for qualitative research. Qualitative research, 1(3), 385-405. [https://doi.org/10.1177/146879410100100307]

Ayub, A. (2011). A Closer Look at FIFA's Hijab Ban. The SAIS Review of International Affairs, 31(1), 43-50.[http://doi.org/10.1353/sais.2011.0010]

Bahrainwala, L., & O’Connor, E. (2022). Nike unveils Muslim women athletes. Feminist Media Studies, 22(3), 469-484.[https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2019.1620822]

Benn, T., & Dagkas, S. (2012). The Olympic Movement and Islamic culture: conflict or compromise for Muslim women? International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 5(2), 281–294. [https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2012.656677]

Cox, M., Dickson, G., & Cox, B. (2017). Lifting the veil on allowing headscarves in football: A co-constructed and analytical autoethnography. Sport Management Review, 20(5), 522-534. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2016.10.007]

Daulton, J. (2013). The evolution of gender equality in intercollegiate sports. Skyline-The Big Sky Undergraduate Journal, 1(1), 7. [Link]

Dickson, G., Phelps, S., & Waugh, D. (2010). Multi‐level governance in an international strategic alliance: The plight of the Phoenix and the Asian football market. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 22(1), 111-124. [https://doi.org/10.1108/13555851011013191]

Donnelly, P. (1996). Prolympism: Sport monoculture as crisis and opportunity. Quest, 48(1), 25-42. [http://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.1996.10484176]

Dun, S. (2016). Role models in the media and women’s sport participation in Qatar. Nidaba, 1(1), 48-58. [Link]

Faraziani, F., & Javanroodi, M. (2020). A Comparative Study of Measuring the Tendency of Female Athletes to Use Hijab in Iran and Selected Arab Countries. Organizational Behavior Management in Sport Studies, 7(3), 107-116. [http://doi.org/10.30473/fmss.2021.56656.2236] [In Persian]

Farzadfar, M., Yoosefy, B., & Bahrami, S. (2019). Identyfying the National and International Social Consequences of Muslim Women Athlete's Accomplishment in International Sporting Events. Journal of Sport Management and Development, 8(3), 182-195. [https://doi.org/10.22124/JSMD.2019.3878] [In Persian]

Feizabadi, M. S., Delgado, F., Khabiri, M., Sajjadi, N., & Alidoust, E. (2015). Olympic Movement or Diplomatic Movement? The role of Olympic Games on development of international relations. Journal of Sports Science, 3, 186-194. [http://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.4497.3604]

Foroutan, Y. (2020). Gender Stereotypes in Iran based on the Socio-Demographic Approach. Journal of Applied Sociology, 31(3), 97-120. [http://doi.org/10.22108/jas.2020.117540.1712] [In Persian]

Gheshmi Meimand, A., Pourkiani, M., & Rahmati, M. M. (2019). Thematic Analysis of the Culture of Sport in Iran. Journal of Sport Management and Development, 8(2), 118-128. [http://doi.org/10.22124/jsmd.2019.3723] [In Persian]

Hamzeh, M. (2017). FIFA's double hijabophobia: A colonialist and Islamist alliance racializing Muslim women soccer players. Women's Studies International Forum, 63, 11-16. [http://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2017.06.003]

Harkness, G. (2012). Out of Bounds: Cultural Barriers to Female Sports Participation in Qatar. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 29(15), 2162–2183. [http://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2012.721595]

Hoseini, S.A., Razavi, S.M.H., Amirnejad, S., & Hoseini, S.E. (2022). Designing A Gender Equality Model In Iranian Sports (With Emphasis On Championship And Professional Sports). Journal of Sport Management And Development, 11(1), 185-207. [https://doi.org/10.22124/JSMD.2022.6295] [In Persian]

Javaheri, A., Raghfar, H., & Abazari, Y. (2021). A Critical Analysis of Theories of Gender Equality in Sport and the Challenges Ahead. Sociological Review, 27(2), 111-131. [http://doi.org/10.22059/jsr.2021.81420] [In Persian]

Javani, V., Aghajani, F., & Alemi, M. (2022). The Impact of Media on Gender Stereotypes in Women's Sports. Journal of Woman in Culture and Arts, 14(1), 57-72. [http://doi.org/10.22059/jwica.2022.332840.1701] [In Persian]

Knoester, C., & Rockhill, C. (2021). Multiculturalism and antiracism in Sports? US public opinions about Native American team names and mascots and the use of hijabs in sports. Socius, 7, 23780231211028681. [http://doi.org/10.1177/23780231211028681]

Yenilmez, M. I., & Celik, O. B. (2020). The Difference between Male and Female Sport Participation in Turkey: Determination Always Finds a Way. Sport Mont, 18(2), 107-112. [http://doi.org/10.26773/smj.200601]

Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications. [Link]

Mirshekaran, Z., Bahrololoum, H., & Bagheri, H. (2020). Investigating the factors affecting the development of Iranian women's sport championship. Contemporary Studies On Sport Management, 9(18), 1-14. [http://doi.org/10.22084/smms.2020.20201.2465] [In Persian]

Nazari, S., Ramezaninejad, R., Goharrostami, H.R., & Rahmati, M.M. (2025). Analyzing the dominant approaches women's sports with an emphasis on gender analysis. Journal of Sport Management and Development, 14(1), 71-94. [https://doi: 10.22124/jsmd.2023.23886.2775] [In Persian]

Pfister, G., & Hacısoftaoğlu, I. (2016). Women’s Sport as a Symbol of Modernity: A Case Study in Turkey. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 33(13), 1470–1482. [https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2017.1293045]

Pfister, G. (2010). Outsiders: Muslim women and Olympic games–barriers and opportunities. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 27(16-18), 2925-2957. [http://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2010.508291]

Prouse, C. (2013). Harnessing the hijab: the emergence of the Muslim Female Footballer through international sport governance. Gender, Place & Culture, 22(1), 20–36. [https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2013.832664]

Ryan, I., & Dickson, G. (2016). The invisible norm: An exploration of the intersections of sport, gender and leadership. Leadership, 14(3), 329-346. [https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715016674864]

Hareuveny, O., & Blanga, Y.U. (2022). Between the sacred and the profane: conflicts between football and sharia in Iran. Middle Eastern Studies, 59(4), 640–664. [https://doi.org/10.1080/00263206.2022.2112674]

Sfeir, L. (1985). The status of Muslim women in sport: conflict between cultural tradition and modernization. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 20(4), 283-306. [https://doi.org/10.1177/101269028502000404]

Yenilmez, M.I. (2021). Gender inequality and female sports participation in Turkey. Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine, 33(1), 27-41. [http://doi.org/10.18276/cej.2021.1-03]

Exploring the Challenges Faced by Muslim Women in International Sport Events: A Case Study of East Azerbaijan Female Athletes

References

References

Volume 14, Issue 2 - Serial Number 42Summer- 42June 2025Pages 1-24

Volume 14, Issue 2 - Serial Number 42
Summer- 42
June 2025
Pages 1-24