Gender washing or gender equity? women and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia

Arnošt Svoboda; Simona Šafaříková; Jorge Knijnik; Billy Graeff

doi:10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006

Gender washing or gender equity? women and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia

Arnošt Svoboda
, Simona Šafaříková
, Jorge Knijnik
, Billy Graeff

Western Sydney University

Palacký University Olomouc
Stellenbosch University
Federal University of Rio Grande

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference Paper › Chapter › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing remarkable socio-cultural trans- formations, which involve efforts to enhance gender equality nationwide. The Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, which strives to ensure equal opportunities for both men and women, has instigated endeavours to redefine the societal status of women across various sectors, including sports. This paper explores critical issues concerning gender (in)equality and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia. We apply contemporary feminist trends in the Arab World (Al-Anazi) in conjunction with feminist critiques of neoliberalism (Fraser) and colonialism (Cusicanqui) to shed light on the data collected through in-depth interviews with young female Saudis during extensive ethnographic fieldwork in the country. Our findings will highlight the tensions surrounding the sports participation of young Saudi Arabian women. This analysis aims to ascertain whether sports will lead to feminist emancipation or merely serve as part of a larger example of gender-washing operations in the country.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Arab and Middle Eastern Sport: Critical Muslim Perspectives
Editors	Adam Ehsan Ali, Umer Hussain
Place of Publication	U.K.
Publisher	Emerald Publishing
Chapter	5
Pages	87-105
Number of pages	19
Volume	27
ISBN (Electronic)	9781835492642
ISBN (Print)	9781835492635
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006 https://doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006
Publication status	Published - 2025

Publication series

Name	Research in the Sociology of Sport
Volume	27
ISSN (Print)	1476-2854

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Arnošt Svoboda, Simona Šafaříková, Jorge Knijnik and Billy Graeff. Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 5 Gender Equality
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Keywords

Saudi Arabia;
Vision 2030;
physical activity; gender-washing; gender equality;
women in sports;
gender-washing;
gender equality;

Access to Document

Cite this

Svoboda, A., Šafaříková, S., Knijnik, J., & Graeff, B. (2025). Gender washing or gender equity? women and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia. In A. E. Ali, & U. Hussain (Eds.), Arab and Middle Eastern Sport: Critical Muslim Perspectives (Vol. 27, pp. 87-105). (Research in the Sociology of Sport; Vol. 27). Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006, https://doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006

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abstract = "Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing remarkable socio-cultural trans- formations, which involve efforts to enhance gender equality nationwide. The Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, which strives to ensure equal opportunities for both men and women, has instigated endeavours to redefine the societal status of women across various sectors, including sports. This paper explores critical issues concerning gender (in)equality and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia. We apply contemporary feminist trends in the Arab World (Al-Anazi) in conjunction with feminist critiques of neoliberalism (Fraser) and colonialism (Cusicanqui) to shed light on the data collected through in-depth interviews with young female Saudis during extensive ethnographic fieldwork in the country. Our findings will highlight the tensions surrounding the sports participation of young Saudi Arabian women. This analysis aims to ascertain whether sports will lead to feminist emancipation or merely serve as part of a larger example of gender-washing operations in the country.",

keywords = "Saudi Arabia;, Vision 2030;, physical activity; gender-washing; gender equality;, women in sports;, gender-washing;, gender equality;",

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Svoboda, A, Šafaříková, S, Knijnik, J & Graeff, B 2025, Gender washing or gender equity? women and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia. in AE Ali & U Hussain (eds), Arab and Middle Eastern Sport: Critical Muslim Perspectives. vol. 27, Research in the Sociology of Sport, vol. 27, Emerald Publishing, U.K., pp. 87-105. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006, https://doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006

Gender washing or gender equity? women and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia. / Svoboda, Arnošt; Šafaříková, Simona; Knijnik, Jorge et al.
Arab and Middle Eastern Sport: Critical Muslim Perspectives. ed. / Adam Ehsan Ali; Umer Hussain. Vol. 27 U.K.: Emerald Publishing, 2025. p. 87-105 (Research in the Sociology of Sport; Vol. 27).

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference Paper › Chapter › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - Gender washing or gender equity? women and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia

AU - Svoboda, Arnošt

AU - Šafaříková, Simona

AU - Knijnik, Jorge

AU - Graeff, Billy

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing remarkable socio-cultural trans- formations, which involve efforts to enhance gender equality nationwide. The Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, which strives to ensure equal opportunities for both men and women, has instigated endeavours to redefine the societal status of women across various sectors, including sports. This paper explores critical issues concerning gender (in)equality and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia. We apply contemporary feminist trends in the Arab World (Al-Anazi) in conjunction with feminist critiques of neoliberalism (Fraser) and colonialism (Cusicanqui) to shed light on the data collected through in-depth interviews with young female Saudis during extensive ethnographic fieldwork in the country. Our findings will highlight the tensions surrounding the sports participation of young Saudi Arabian women. This analysis aims to ascertain whether sports will lead to feminist emancipation or merely serve as part of a larger example of gender-washing operations in the country.

AB - Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing remarkable socio-cultural trans- formations, which involve efforts to enhance gender equality nationwide. The Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, which strives to ensure equal opportunities for both men and women, has instigated endeavours to redefine the societal status of women across various sectors, including sports. This paper explores critical issues concerning gender (in)equality and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia. We apply contemporary feminist trends in the Arab World (Al-Anazi) in conjunction with feminist critiques of neoliberalism (Fraser) and colonialism (Cusicanqui) to shed light on the data collected through in-depth interviews with young female Saudis during extensive ethnographic fieldwork in the country. Our findings will highlight the tensions surrounding the sports participation of young Saudi Arabian women. This analysis aims to ascertain whether sports will lead to feminist emancipation or merely serve as part of a larger example of gender-washing operations in the country.

KW - Saudi Arabia;

KW - Vision 2030;

KW - physical activity; gender-washing; gender equality;

KW - women in sports;

KW - gender-washing;

KW - gender equality;

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105041113370

U2 - 10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006

DO - 10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006

M3 - Chapter

AN - SCOPUS:105041113370

SN - 9781835492635

VL - 27

T3 - Research in the Sociology of Sport

SP - 87

EP - 105

BT - Arab and Middle Eastern Sport: Critical Muslim Perspectives

A2 - Ali, Adam Ehsan

A2 - Hussain, Umer

PB - Emerald Publishing

CY - U.K.

ER -

Svoboda A, Šafaříková S, Knijnik J, Graeff B. Gender washing or gender equity? women and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia. In Ali AE, Hussain U, editors, Arab and Middle Eastern Sport: Critical Muslim Perspectives. Vol. 27. U.K.: Emerald Publishing. 2025. p. 87-105. (Research in the Sociology of Sport). doi: 10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006, 10.1108/S1476-285420250000027006

Gender washing or gender equity? women and sports in contemporary Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Publication series

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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