Nike is leading the charge against discrimination, set to become the first global sportswear company to release a hijab line. On March 6, the company announced its line, the Nike Pro Hijab, in what is a monumental step for sports equality.
“The Nike Pro Hijab may have been more than a year in the making, but its impetus can be traced much further back, to an ongoing cultural shift that has seen more women than ever embracing sport,” a statement from Nike reads.
The past few Olympics have shown an inclusion of Muslim women in international sports, with hijab-wearing athletes competing in the Olympics since 2004. The most recent games in Rio, Brazil featured the first hijab-wearing athlete to represent America on the global stage, Ibtihaj Muhammad, who won a bronze medal for fencing.
The implications for the Nike Hijab Pro are huge. No longer will Muslim women be forced to choose between religious customs and athleticism. With most veiled Muslim women living in hot climates, the Nike Hijab Pro levels the playing field and allows them to compete comfortably and unhindered.
“We live in the hottest countries in the world so covering the neck area specifically is always going to be a challenge. For many women, running more than 3K in the heat is almost suffocating,” Manal Rostom, an Egyptian mountain climber and model for the Nike Hijab Pro, told Al Arabiya English.
Nike listened to women like Rostom and created a hijab with a breathable mesh material designed to keep them as cool as possible.
Athletic hijabs finally recognize Muslim women as real athletes and show there is support for Muslim women to be included in the sports world. With these hijabs, Muslim women can feel not just recognized in sports, but welcomed.
Hopefully this inclusion will prompt other sports’ organizations and companies to at least take the first step in recognizing Muslim female athletes. FIFA, the International Football Federation, banned hijabs and other head coverings until 2014. FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, still has bans on athletes competing in hijabs.
Nike’s new line may force more companies to realize no one should have to go against their faith or wear hot, uncomfortable fabric to simply work out.
Companies may also realize the potential for a new market, and some cynics have focused more on this capitalist aspect of Nike’s move rather than the moral reasonings the company is advertising.
These detractions have some merit. Nike has received heaps of backlash for questionable wages for contract factory workers in other countries. Yet, most evidence points to the company making slow improvements, and nonetheless, can still applaud a groundbreaking step in sports apparel in hopes of other companies following suit while condoning the actions of said company.
Even if the product is a clever jump on an untapped market, the thoroughness Nike has shown in designing its product is commendable.
“As each country has its own particular hijab style, the ideal design would need to accommodate variances. The brand also solicited the opinions of advocates and local communities to ensure the design met cultural requirements,” Nike wrote in a news release.
The Nike Hijab Pro should encourage more companies and sports organizations to recognize Muslim women as valid athletes.
Ryan Thaxton is a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore from Monroe, Louisiana.