Breaking the Ice: Women in Winter Sports
Date:
Author: Fizza Sohail, UN Women Pakistan
Saliha Ibrahim’s journey as one of the first ice hockey players in Pakistan began in 2017 when she laced up her skates and stepped onto the ice with the support of a youth-led civil society organization in the small and mountainous town of Altit in Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan. It was very novel for women and young girls in Gilgit-Baltistan to engage in sports (let alone ice hockey!) and Saliha encountered skepticism and disbelief from her family and conservative community. "Girls don't play sports," was the feedback at every turn. However, Saliha was determined to challenge these notions.
Despite the wider community pushback, she garnered support from her peers and set a trend for other young girls in the community to join her in ice hockey. As her prowess in the sport grew, she started training and mentoring other young girls, supervising ice hockey training camps across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. Over the next few years, Saliha trained over 200 girls to glide and score on the typically male-dominated fields of ice.
Saliha and her fellow athletes, however, scored more than just goals. Through their commitment, dedication, and success, they marshaled acceptability for women and girls in public spaces and sporting arenas, rewriting the limiting narratives that restricted women’s entry to sports. In early 2024, UN Women supported the Karakoram Winterlude, the largest winter sports competition held in Pakistan, implemented by the youth-led sporting organization, SCARF. Six women’s teams participated in the event, boasting a diverse group of players who now compete at the national level, many of them trained by Saliha.
Saliha's passion for ice hockey drives her to pursue a professional career as an international player. She aspires to be a role model for girls in her community and around the world, inspiring them to chase their dreams and overcome restrictive barriers. Through ice hockey, Saliha aims to empower and motivate others, leaving a lasting impact both on and off the ice.
To address the barriers faced by women and gender-diverse people in participating in sports, Saliha emphasizes the importance of overcoming societal expectations and gaining support from local organizations. Her call to action for development and sports organizations is to create more opportunities and support systems for women and gender-diverse individuals in sports. By providing platforms for training, mentorship, and competition, sports organizations can help break down barriers and inspire the next generation of athletes.
UN Women has supported SCARF, winter sports, Saliha, and hundreds of other young women from diverse backgrounds to engage in alternative activities such as sports to help promote diversity and tolerance; amplify the voices of women; and harness leadership and strategic thinking, to contribute towards social cohesion and gender equality.