Saudi Arabian girls will finally be allowed to play sports at school

                                                               (Picture: Getty Images)

 

Saudi Arabian girls will finally be allowed to play sports at school after the country’s government announced new rules.
Girls will take part in physical education classes from next year after previously being banned from lessons.

 

The Education Ministry confirmed the changes on Tuesday, which had been delayed since 2014.
The Saudi Shura Council, which advises the government, had given its approval but the decision was initially challenged by conservative clerics who thought PE was immodest.

 

Shura Council member Lina Almaeena has spent a decade trying to get the rules changed and was pleased when it finally happened as part of the ‘Vision 2030’ programme, which hopes to modernise the country.
‘I’m very happy with the issue of the decree and this is a historic day for all Saudi girls in the Kingdom,’ she told Arab News.
‘We don’t have the logistics, location or setting and a decree such as this is not as easy as many believe it is… [but] I’m an optimist and rather than looking back, we should all look forward

 

The attitude towards women’s rights in Saudi Arabia is slowly changing.
Women are still required to get the permission of a male guardian to do most things but they were given the right to vote in 2015 and other progressive changes have also been made.

Metro.co.uk