 |
| Afghan sportswomen to participate in an intl tournament in Europe |
The tournament is scheduled to be held in two weeks. This comes after some members of Italian Parliament proposed the Afghan female cycling team’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. A group of 20 female cyclists from Kabul, Bamyan, Parwan, Balkh and Panjshir provinces participated in national cycling matches at a length of 60 Km from Kabul to Gol Ghundi hills in Parwan province. These sportswomen are defying cultural taboos that make riding bikes for women immoral and even illegal. Women are often harassed and insulted for riding bikes. Some of the cyclists have been hit by passing drivers while training on the highways. Yet, these women have not let social stigmas hold them back, and they are using bicycle as a means to emancipate women.