Generation Amazing: The next amazing generation

Over the week of Festival23 partner organisation Generation Amazing sent ten delegates to participate in a rich exchange of knowledge and cultural sharing throughout workshops, gala days and events at the festival.

The delegates also attended a Football For Good Forum, where they hosted the “Passing the Baton – Women’s Sports Development as a Legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar,” panel. The keynote speakers included influential policymakers, sports leaders, and distinguished figures from the Arab region to highlight the transformative role of women in sports development as a result of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The panel included Fajer Al Boainin, GA youth advocate; Wadha Al Saoud, Recreation Supervisor at QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and a member of QF’s advisory group for the strategic development of women’s sports in Qatar; Kate Anthonisz, Board Member at Women Onside; and was moderated by Hala Khalaf, Adviser to Women Win & Skateistan.

The discussions emphasised the focus Qatar’s commitment to developing women’s sports, the continuation of legacies after major global sporting events, empowering young women, promoting gender equality in sports, and fostering the growth of women's sports globally.

Generation Amazing youth Advocate, Abrar Abdelrahman was “inspired” by the diversity at Festival23 and in the media coverage of the FIFA Womens World Cup. She believes representation is important so young people are provided with a role model so they can then pursue their dreams. It is important to Abrar to see a diverse group of people achieving their goals, so you develop belief that you can firstly, achieve similar things, and secondly, understand that your opinions and values matter.

“I believe we need this diversity in a sense that every girl needs a role model that she can relate to…So thats the point of having more role models that young girls can have a vision of how they want to be in the future. The more diversity, more players and coaches, the more role models we can offer.”

Abrar is passionate about creating spaces where women who wear the hijab feel comfortable and able to excel at their passions. She wants these pathways to be accessible for hijabi women, and advocates for supporting initiatives that are doing so to dismantle the stereotypes around wearing the hijab in women’s sport.

“The actions speak. Whenever you see hijabi women reaching great places, you can tell that hijab wearing does not stop anyone from reaching their goals. They are working into making a hijab that is more fit for players to wear in a playground. It shows the support and the belief that you are not limited because you are wearing a hijab. And others are supporting this because there is a lot of diversity in the football world. There is no limitation.”

Fellow Generation Amazing Youth Advocate and Festival23 delegate, Zeina Mahmoud, also strongly believes in the power of diversity in the sporting arena and preventing discrimination against hijabi women. She wants people to show up for others who need support in order to foster change and develop cultural understanding in order for everyone to achieve their potential.

“There are small local businesses that are making athleisure clothing specifically for hijabi women. I use those clothes for modesty purposes, hijabi or no hijabi they are really comfortable, and women supporting women you know?”

Thanks to the support from Generation Amazing, the delegates, staff and volunteers of Festvial23 were able to engage in a week of cultural exchange that will form ripples for years to come.