Women's participation in sports in Afghanistan has gone up in recent years, but there are still many challenges. These include safety problems, social problems, and parents not wanting their daughters to do sports. Even in school, girls don't have many chances to exercise since there are not enough gyms and equipment. One major obstacle to women doing sports is a belief that exercise can be bad for a woman's health. However, some experts on Islam say that exercise is okay for women as long as they follow some rules. The rules include wearing proper clothing and having a female coach. The other major problem is safety. Even though there are policemen standing near where they exercise, many women still say they feel unsafe. One woman who is jogging based on advice from her doctor said that, "The doctor has advised me to exercise but I couldn't find anywhere in my home town to take regular exercise. So I come all the way to the next town and jog, but I still don't feel safe there." Even though there are many difficulties, the benefits of exercise are worthy of the women's effort. One of the members of the national women's football team said, "Football changed my life and my personality. Football made me a very strong fighter and a strong woman; a woman with passion and goals. I used football as a tool to stand against all the obstacles and problems which I was and am facing as a woman in a male-dominated country like Afghanistan."