I don’t often share my thoughts publicly, but this has stayed on my mind for too long to remain silent.
As the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics came to an end, we witnessed some of the most powerful moments sport can offer. From the historic achievements of Francesca Lollobrigida to the inspiring comeback of Alysa Liu, and the fearless brilliance of Eileen Gu, these stories are more than medals and podiums. They are lessons in resilience, mindset, discipline, and courage.
These athletes, and so many others, reminded us once again of the undeniable strength of women in sport, a space that historically has rarely offered them equality, and for too long was considered a world that belonged to men.
One of the most powerful aspects of Milano Cortina, in my view, was the visible effort toward gender equality. Progress is being made. But while we celebrate progress, we must also confront painful realities.
Because while some women stand on Olympic podiums, others are being erased.
There are women with the same talent, the same discipline, the same dreams, who are denied the right to train, to compete, to even exist freely in public life simply because of their gender. Afghan women and girls today are banned from sport, excluded from education, restricted from work, and pushed out of social life entirely. A system is actively erasing them from every aspect of society.
This is not just about sport, It is about dignity, visibility, It is about basic human rights. Their voices deserve to be heard, this silence in sport must be broken.
If sport truly stands for unity, fairness, and opportunity then it must stand for all women.
Including Afghan women!!
A sincere thank you to
@unamontagnadilibri and
@fchiamulera for providing the platform to speak about this important issue.
