Sudanese women watch the World Cup matches in a safe space

The Guardians Initiative organizes performances in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, allowing women and children to follow the 2022 World Cup matches comfortably.

Samar Taj Al-Sir, a member of the initiative, said: “Let’s come together… This was the slogan of watching the female guards, and we intended to give the girls an opportunity to attend the World Cup in a private women’s club and be comfortable for them.”

She added, “This is something that does not currently exist in Sudan. We wanted to give them this space without worry, and at the same time reflect to society that there are girls who follow the ball and understand well in the ball.”

This year, the World Cup coincides with the 16th Anniversary Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence, which the group has used to highlight women who experience violence.

For her part, soccer player Salma Awad said to “Sky News Arabia”: “We are football players and we were able to extract our right. With very respectable sums, and thank God we are making good strides and even our teams have increased.”

After the overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, Sudan launched a women’s soccer league, a move that allowed female players to try to gain more acceptance for the idea.