Last month, as the German football team played for a place in the finals of UEFA EURO 2016, some of the loudest cheers came from Pakistan’s women footballers: “I really hope they win the EURO Cup!” said Hajra Khan enthusiastically. As the captain of Pakistan’s women’s national team, Khan made history in 2014 when she became the first Pakistani woman to sign up for the Maldives National Women’s League. In 2015, she was invited for pre-season trials to three professional German Bundesliga clubs: SGS Essen, FSV Guterslohand and VFL Sindelfingen. Although she did not end up playing professionally in Germany, the country’s football is close to her heart. For Khan, football is life. She has “fought stereotypes and broken barriers” to prove what a woman can achieve in this ‘male-dominated sport’”. Edited excerpts from an interview.

As captain of the women’s national team, what would you highlight as your team’s main challenges in a male-dominated sport?

There is a lack of opportunities for players to grow and hone their talent by participating internationally, and safe spaces to train regularly are definitely scarce. Also, as athletes and individuals working passionately for the promotion of football, making people value our talent and hard work, and not judge us on looks, has been quite a challenge. Every girl orwomaninsports knows the unfairness of the system. No matter how skilled or talented, she knows her appearance will be judged. She may win, she may lose, but her looks will be assessed. Some benefit from it, most resent it, but all women athletes have to grapple with it. The only way to silence the beauty obsession of the gaze lies in skill and triumph.

How has football shaped the person you are today?

I’ve always been a quiet andcomposed person, but I believe sports has taught me to show respect for others, fairness, grace in defeat, humility in victory, and the virtue of self-denial. I’ve learned to take a little more than my share of blame and a little less than my share of credit. It’s helped me gain respect formybody and develop self-esteem, and to believe that I have everything I need within me to become the best possible version of myself.

How difficult was it to get acceptance as a woman footballer in Pakistan?

It’s not easy for women in Pakistan to pursue their dreams. There’s prejudice and resistance, and not just towards women in football. Thankfully, I’ve enjoyed the support of my family and friends. It’s been a tough journey but I’ve proved that a Pakistani woman can achieve more than what any Pakistani man has in this ‘male-dominated sport’.

How important is it to highlight women who are breaking gender barriers in sports?

I believe it is monumentally important as there’s a general lack of support for girls who want to do more than getting married and become homemakers. Girls face many obstacles, including lack of access to quality and affordable education apart from several cultural barriers. Consequently, their freedom of movement and pursuit of dreams in any field are restricted. While there are some exceptions, a vast majority of the women are not exposed to equal opportunities and avenues in order to express themselves. I’ve witnessed an increase in the participation of women in sports, but women athletes still face scrutiny and stereotyping because of social norms that define women as being fragile, less capable, and passive. Furthermore, sports has always been seen as a masculine domain and, therefore, women are perceived as intruding into male boundaries. The media needs to recognise women for their athletic ability and not their looks or personal life. Moreover, society will need to move away from the social conditioning of women into gender stereotyped roles and allow for young girls to choose their own path, especially if that includes an interest in sports.

What are your plans?

Staying focused and training hard day and night has helped me achieve my goals of becoming the best in Pakistan and leading the national team, to playing club football internationally and experiencing European football. I want to advocate the growth of women in sports. I’m pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business and management studies from London School of Economics. And I already have an AFC ‘C’ licence coaching certificate.

My plan is to launch a football training academy, primarily geared at training girls. The academy will also use football for development, and work towards social inclusion of the disabled into mainstream. Furthermore, it will cater to children from the streets and underserved areas.

Women's Feature Service; This article is part of UN Women’s ‘Step It Up for Gender Equality’ campaign

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