A Hard Job Made Harder - Women Referees

The investment by FIFA into training female officials is now starting to pay real dividends. The FIFA Women's World Cup is entirely regulated by female officials. In addition, women are now being chosen ahead of their male counterparts to officiate at the highest levels of the game. But still there remain barriers to the further development and inclusion of women. One of the leading officials in the women's game is Senegalese referee Fatou Gaye who has been selected as a referee for the Women's World Cup in China. What prejudice has she come up against? How does she feel about this great opportunity? What made her want to take up one of the hardest jobs in football? Referee training programmes are expanding and standards are rising at all the time. The future is bright.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Women
• referee
• fatou
• gaye
• senegal
• fifa
• world
• cup
• hidden
• story

[tenzinsopa]

Great feelings of Joy after seeing the African woman referee........may there be more good people spreading peace and equality in the world.....!!!

[tonester09]

Women referees can be summed up in three words, and three words alone. Politically correct tokenism.

[bengusandlex]

I love my football to pieces, and i'm not sexist as i believe whole hearted in the happiness and prosperity of women, but i dont want to watch women play or ref games, that doesnt mean you can't, i just dont want to watch it.

[Qboy316]

notice how whenever the game was over, she was surrounded by soldiers. scary...

[ladyref1]

i am a referee in the mens game i ref sunday league in Reading yes it hard but it's my choice i get support from hubby but he never watches me. there is so much to football as a game and you have to understand the game by playing it managing it and watching it it's more than a game i have done all 3 and now i ref it the lads respect my authoirty and my knowledge! yes she's a good ref but come and watch a park game there's far more goes on in 90 mins than anyone really knows. ladyref.

[sopee10]

i am a referee and i think that this women is incredible for refereeing mens game at the top level i find 2nd division hard

[borobabe88]

i totally admire her,,, how sexist was tht bwt its a mens game n tht i play football and i referee i do both boys and girls... i luv the way she has never gave up even after the trouble,,, i bellieve that if she can do it in a country that is so strict i fink that many women can do it aswell and that they shoud be treat with the same amount of respect as players give men