Sports in Kyrgyzstan: Girls Learn to Come Out of the Equipment Closet

When asked what benefits sports have on young boys’ lives, coaches in Kyrgyzstan don’t hesitate to name physical health, leadership skills, strength, confidence, friendships, potential career opportunities, and more.  But when asked about the benefit to girls, the coaches hesitated, and eventually agreed on a single benefit—playing sports makes a girl stronger for when she needs to give birth to children. This limited perspective overlooks how sports participation empowers girls to be self-confident and self-aware and, as a result, less vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV).

Often young women in Kyrgyzstan feel that they are not able to be athletic or be competitive with boys, and many coaches perpetuate these assumptions by overtly or tacitly excluding girls. Given these attitudes, young girls often volunteer to clean the changing rooms or organize the equipment closet rather than play sports in gym class.

But now through the Kyrgyzstan Innovations in Coaching Kids (KICK) program, coaches and students are acknowledging the importance of girls’ participation in sports as a means to promote physical, mental, and social health, and as a result, reduce their vulnerability to violence.

KICK emphasizes sports as a medium for conflict management and promoting mutual understanding. Through the program, coaches and youth from different regions and ethnic and religious backgrounds in Kyrgyzstan engage in conversations about gender and sports and come to acknowledge that many of the benefits for boys are just as relevant for girls.  In addition, they identified the impact that increased physical ability and confidence can have in reducing girls’ vulnerability against attack and abuse from a stranger or a loved one.

For many of the young girls, their participation in the KICK program was transformative.  Aijarkyn Asilbekova, a 15-year-old from the conservative Batken region shared the following:

"In our rural communities we take for granted the dominant status of men and submissive and secondary role of women and girls. Our fathers, uncles, husbands, and brothers often make decisions for us, and we don't dare to make our own choices regarding what path to pursue, whom to marry, whether or not to do sports or studies, profess Islam, whether or not we must wear a hijab, or to stay or escape if bride-kidnapped... Here at the camp, it has been eye-opening to me that the girls are playing and competing with boys as equals on the same team.  Girls make their own decisions as to whether to pass a ball or to tag a boy out on the opposite team, often they do it under pressure from boys on their team and despite the boys' influence.  I have learned not to be intimidated by the male presence and domination."

Aijarkyn’s comment reveals the incredible benefits of participation in sports, well beyond winning first place or getting exercise, and miles beyond cleaning up changing rooms in gym class. 

The Kyrgyzstan Innovations in Coaching Kids (KICK) program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by IREX.