Celebrating IWD with the launch of Sweaty Betty’s new Sports Hijab, designed with sports activist, Lipa Nessa and benefitting the Sweaty Betty Foundation
Sweaty Betty’s vision is to empower women through fitness and beyond, while the Sweaty Betty Foundation (launched in March 2021 by Sweaty Betty founder, Tamara Hill Norton), aims to empower more women and girls to get active and stay active, for life.
This International Women’s Day, the Brand and Foundation come together to launch a new Sports Hijab, re-designed to better suit those that want to preserve their modesty while moving.
The Sweaty Betty Foundation spoke to teenage girls across the UK, including a group from Leeds Girl Can and discovered that the hijab can be a barrier to girls participating in sports, with some schools deeming it ‘unsafe’ to wear and requiring school girls to remove their hijab in their PE lessons. Research carried out by Sport England in 2019 found that Muslim women are more likely to be inactive (doing less than 30 minutes of moderate activity per week) than other women. Meanwhile, a report published by England’s largest Muslim women’s sports charity, Muslimah Sports Association (MSA) in 2023 found 97% of British Muslim women surveyed wanted to increase their current participation in sports, while 37% are not involved in any sports or activities, backed up by the recent BBC feature Muslim women in sport: ‘Slow progress’ on removing barriers – BBC Sport
Together with sports activist Lipa Nessa, Sweaty Betty has created a new Sports Hijab, with all profits going to The Sweaty Betty Foundation. Formally a semi-professional footballer and now a grassroots coach and National Youth Board member for several sports boards, Lipa is a powerful voice for positive change and has the dream: ‘to change the world with a hijab on her head and a ball at her feet.’
Blending fashion with function, the new Sports Hijab has been carefully designed with hidden banding so that it stays put even with active movement, while different fastenings offer the wearer multiple ways to wear the hijab, so it fits their own personal style. Now with new magnetic fastenings, the Sports Hijab provides a safe solution for those wanting to wear modest wear during sports and activities. Sweaty Betty will be donating all profits from the sales of the Sports Hijab, as well as the profits of an exclusive long sleeve Breathe Easy Top, to the Sweaty Betty Foundation. In addition to the profits, The Foundation will also be donating a set number of hijabs every year to girls across the UK to empower and inspire them to get active.
Afsana Lachaux, Director of the Sweaty Betty Foundation says “It is vital that girls feel confident, safe and comfortable when taking part in sports and physical activity. By redesigning the Sports hijab, more girls will be able to lead active, healthy, and happy lives”
The launch of the Sports Hijab includes a press event on 8th March to celebrate International Women’s Day. This will be followed by a community walk on 9th March, led by Molly from These Girls Run where communities of women will gather and unite to walk as one sisterhood.
