Laleh Kashavarz and Farkhondeh Sadegh became the first Muslim women to climb Mount Everest earlier this week. According to Reuters, the two women reached the summit on Monday, becoming the first Muslim women to make the climb and the 101st and 102nd women to complete the mountain.
Both women are accomplished climbers in Iran, and were part of a 21-person team, including five other women, to attempt Everest. Weather conditions and injuries prevented others from reaching the top, including accomplished climber Leila Bahrami, who led the women along with Sadegh. Before the climb Bahrami told the Tehran Times that she and Sadegh wanted to make the climb to combat images of Muslim women as restricted and the Christian Science Monitor quoted her saying that the climb “would show the world the potential of Muslim woman as sportswomen.”
