On the front page of a daily sports paper, there was a big banner recently informing readers that satellite channels are not given the right to air Saudi Cup matches “because of women”. That is a very interesting item of news. Women are one of the main reasons why the Presidency of Youth Welfare decided to confine the rights for football matches to Saudi TV. The item goes on to say that since there are women who like to watch the matches — and some of them might be unable to afford a satellite dish — it was decided to give them the chance to enjoy football on TV, exclusively on Saudi channels.

Skepticism aside, it seems that the tide is turning; maybe we should encourage it a bit. The presidency seems to be keen on giving women a chance at least to watch football, which is good, but how about supporting the idea that it is also good for women to participate in sports — instead of just watching them on TV? After all, not every woman can afford membership in a private health club, so there is a good chance for the presidency to open some public sports clubs for women as a start.

And something else — perhaps the presidency can put some pressure on the education ministry to allow girls in public schools to have physical education classes. The ministry seems to have some wrong ideas concerning the dangers of sports for girls. But these same girls are the ones who watch football on TV. Why is it all right to watch a sport on government TV, yet not all right to participate in it? One body says it is all right while another bans it. Should we expect an explanation? Not realistically. As usual, having all these rules just makes women’s lives harder than men’s in every respect — including how they spend their free time. When it is convenient, women are used as an excuse for decisions that do not really make a difference in women’s situations. These decisions would have been plausible if there were steps to improve the situation of women — for example, allow women to attend football matches in a separate seating area in the stadium. Doing that would preserve our society’s traditions and culture.

The list of venues closed to women is quite a long one. There are no public beaches where women can swim though there are plenty of expensive private ones. Men can swim where they like but women have to pay in order to do so. In the same way, tennis courts are always available for men yet they are provided for women only on compounds or in health clubs and of course for money. Why is it that women have to pay to get something that men can get for free?

Men can always enjoy the fresh air while women are confined in closed spaces. Just look at the number of sidewalk cafes that have sprung up in Jeddah. How many women are seen enjoying them?

Essentially, until men and women enjoy the same privilege, whether to participate or watch sporting events, things will remain the same. We women may have to be content to do no more than watch football matches on TV for a long time to come.

Arab News Opinion 8 July 2003