Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Several Ethiopian schoolgirls dressed in jeans, sweatpants, and abayas practised the art of skateboarding, breaking all taboos. Although there are numerous skateboarding communities in the country, they are mostly dominated by men. With experience and time, female skateboarders have developed skills to cope with criticism and avoidable injuries that the sport entails.

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Some of the girls in Ethiopian Girl Skaters, an all-female group founded by Sosina Challa and Micky Asfaw, have girls as young as six years old in the group. They regularly practise mastering the sport. While some carefully advance a few metres while holding their friends’ hands for support, others sprint across ramps and concrete humps.

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Challa, in conversation with AFP, said that she founded the group in order to empower young and passionate women who find it difficult to participate in extreme sports due to Ethiopia’s view of girls, to say some, and help their parents. She further stated that since the time group was founded in December 2020, she, along with other mentors, has taught skateboarding to nearly 150 girls.

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Another skateboarder named Hanas, a 22-year-old girl, said that it’s not common for girls in the country to start skateboarding because not many people support the idea. She said, "But somebody had to be the first, some group had to start and we were the first one and I feel honoured to be part of that."

Iman Mahmud, after 18 months of training, said that she no longer cares about what other people think about her being a girl and taking part in such sports activities. She said, "It helped me defeat my fears. I just enjoy it. It makes me happy." 

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(With inputs from agencies)

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