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International Women's Day Highlights Gender Inequality in Women's Athletics

Sahar Majid

   Shamila Kohestani, former captain of the Afghan Women National Football
   team, had family support in her quest to pursue her athletic ambitions,
   though she still had to face the challenges associated with playing
   sports in a conservative society.

   "It's extremely difficult for women to play sports, and in a country
   where women are still considered a second-class citizen," she said.
   "When I began playing soccer, we had no women on the soccer team. Even
   when I visited the Football Federation in Afghanistan, there were no
   women working there, and we had no teams."

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