Activists chide Saudis on women's sports

LONDON, July 26 (UPI) -- Women's rights activists say Saudi Arabia still has a long way to go to end gender discrimination despite the participation of two women in the London Olympics.

Two women are part of the Saudi Olympic team this year, a development Human Rights Watch said Thursday was a step in the right direction but not enough to put men and women on equal footing in the kingdom.

"The race for gender equality in Saudi Arabia cannot be won until the millions of women and girls who are now deprived of athletic opportunities can also exercise their right to practice sports," Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said in a written statement.

Human Rights Watch said Saudi Arabia is the only nation in the world that bars girls from participating in sports in schools. Women are also barred from joining gyms or health clubs.

"Saudi women and girls cannot play sports -- and they cannot even watch sports in stadiums," Worden said, adding that Human Rights Watch viewed the Saudi policy to be in violation of the Olympic charter.