Nike announced on Tuesday it will be releasing a “Pro Hijab” product for female Muslim athletes — and the design reportedly has been worked on for over year.

“Our designers met with people from all areas of the Dubai and GCC [Gulf Community Countries],” Megan Saalfeld, a Global Nike spokeswoman, said to Arab News about the new product. “From athletes to local historians, writers to artists, these sessions allow our teams to learn more about the region, what athletes here [in Saudi Arabia] want and need to perform better, and allow them to take this inspiration back to Oregon.”

Women face harsh punishments under Sharia Law for doing things that most countries don’t consider illegal, like voting and driving cars.

Nike said in a press release, “By providing Muslim athletes with the most groundbreaking products, like the Nike Pro Hijab, Nike aims to serve today’s pioneers as well as inspire even more women and girls in the region who still face barriers and limited access to sport: Fewer than one in seven girls participate in locally recommended sport activities for 60 minutes or more.”

[lz_ndn video=32092148]

The reason many Muslim women are not allowed to participate in sports in many predominantly Muslim countries has less to do with access to proper head gear — and more to do with the fact that these regions are just beginning to allow women to participate in sports. Women face harsh punishments under Sharia law for doing things that most countries don’t consider illegal, such as voting and driving cars.

A 2016 World Report from Human Rights Watch found that even people who support women’s rights in some Middle Eastern countries face harsh punishment. “In March, Saudi Arabia sentenced journalist Alaa Brinji to five years in prison and an eight-year travel ban for tweets,” said the report, adding, “He criticized religious authorities and voiced support for the right of women to drive and jailed human rights activists.”

The country’s Sharia law — and other countries under Islamic Sharia law include Iran and Afghanistan — seriously hold back women’s rights to do basic tasks and to pursue what are, in other countries, considered natural rights.

While it’s a fine thing for Nike to want to cater to different religions and regions — women are facing far bigger issues in many predominantly Muslim countries than whether they have the right athletic headwear or not.