Women's sport in Iraq

Women's sport in Iraq has a long history, with many sports being played. Football (soccer) is among the most popular sport and hobby in Iraq. Many also participate in, but are not limited to, basketball, volleyball, tennis, taekwondo, and weightlifting. It is often seen as taboo when women involve in sports and other recreations as it is seen as inappropriate by the large conservative culture,^[1] yet in the Kurdistan region as well as the more urban cities of Iraq, such as Baghdad or Basra, society has become more accepting and supportive over time.^[2][3][4] Women are encouraged to dress and behave modestly, so the involvement of women in sports and the wearing of sports uniforms have been widely seen as taboo. Even with the growing support of women in sports, societal expectations still lead many women to play in secret or avoid sports altogether, which makes it harder for women to get involved in professional sports.^[5][6] Iraq was, at one point, a hub for athletics in the Middle East, but during Saddam Hussein's reign, involvement in sports declined.^[1] Sports in Iraq have faced many challenges over the past years, and only recently have sports committees and athletes, both men and women alike, begun to rebuild teams and strengthen involvement. Even then, the Ministry of Youth and Sports are often responsible for sponsoring sports teams and athletes, but they often lack the financial means to fully support them.^[7] The country's unstable history of dictatorship and war, as well as the growing trend of conservatism, have been recognized as reasons for weak, lacking, and in some cases nonactive and even nonexistent women's sports teams.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}