The Lionesses (note: nickname of the English national football team) won their opening match at Old Trafford against Austria 1-0, and although there was cause for celebration, it also highlighted a long-standing problem in women’s football: the lack of diversity.
The team that faced Austria was all white. Through her work, Fadumo challenges these structures.
In a recent article, Fadumo wrote about the Senate vote to ban Islamic veils:
“As a Muslim woman, I know the power of sport, I have seen this in the youth I have worked with. But when a law like this is passed without outcry or opposition, it feels like we can never win.”
“When Muslim women remain silent, we are seen as victims of our faith, shackled in our hijabs and oppressed. However, when we speak or stand by our decisions, we are perceived as imposing Islam on the rest of the world. A woman’s strength and her ability to perform are not minimised by the clothes she chooses to wear”. Women in journalism