What you need to know

• Yawa is 21 and breaking down gender barriers in Guinea as a female football referee in a role mostly held by men.
• Plan International’s community support and sponsorship helped her stay in school and access opportunities that contributed to her path into sport.
• Plan’s football leadership program in Guinea reached 8,115 students across nine secondary schools, including 2,664 girls and 14 youth with disabilities, and supported girls and young women to strive for leadership roles in refereeing and media coverage.

Source: Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sport on Women’s Leadership (Women’s Sports Foundation)

When the FIFA World Cup kicks off this summer, most people will be watching to see if Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be out on the football pitch.

Meanwhile, Yawa Denise will likely have her eyes on Stéphanie Frappart, Yoshimi Yamashita, and Salima Mukansanga – three of the female football referees officiating the 2026 tournament.

“I have always dreamt of becoming a professional football referee since I was a child,” explains Yawa, a 21-year-old university student and amateur referee. “I was afraid of the reactions of my parents, friends, and community because I am a girl. … But I refused to let their doubts define my future.”

Yawa still remembers the first time she played football. She was in Grade 3 and wanted to join a school tournament. Her teacher looked at her, a small and slim girl, and shook his head. But instead of giving up, she cried loudly. He put her in for the last 10 minutes of the game.

“I was so happy that day,” she recalls.

It wasn’t the only time she’s stood up to gender discrimination. Even at home, after asking her father to buy her a football jersey and trainers, her father’s response was: “Boys play football, not girls.” That was when she made it her mission to prove the world (and her father) wrong.

“Since then, I decided to commit myself to football to change my father’s mind and that of many parents in my community,” she says. “That’s how playing football became a challenge for me.”

Yawa is happiest when she’s part of a football match and gets to see how happy everyone around her is.

Fighting for gender representation and equality in sport has taken her far on the football pitch. She is currently training with the FIFA referees team in her district and is on the list of FIFA referees’ assistants.

Her determination has also allowed her to excel in other areas of her life.

Yawa was the first girl from her community in Guinea to go to university. The youngest of seven children in a farming family, she grew up in a place where girls often left school early – sometimes to help at home, sometimes because early marriage cut their education short. Working as a referee and going to university weren’t goals that girls were expected to imagine for themselves. But she did.

A childhood where school wasn’t guaranteed

Yawa’s older siblings didn’t have the chance to continue their studies – not because her family didn’t care, but because they didn’t have the money, daily life was demanding, and choices were limited. Many girls also faced additional obstacles such as early marriage and traditional practices that limited their futures.

By the time Yawa was ready for school, things in the community had begun to improve. Plan's Child Sponsorship program was in place, and community efforts to improve access to education, health care, and clean water were taking hold. The program supported her family enough for Yawa to stay in school.

Now at university in Kankan, Guinea, Yawa excels in history, geography, and sports, especially football.

“I would like to teach young girls about the history of football so that they understand that football is a universal sport that both girls and boys have the right to play,” she says.

Ten years after her first football match, in 2024, Yawa joined Plan International’s football leadership program, which runs in secondary schools across sponsorship communities in Guinea. The three-month program encourages girls to try different positions on the team, including being a referee.

Yawa was the only young woman who chose the referee track, and she didn’t back away. Through the training, she developed the skills referees rely on, from signals and positioning to decision making and managing the flow of a match. Over time, she earned the respect of the male referees she trained alongside.

Becoming the example she never had

Today, Yawa officiates matches at her university in Kankan, Guinea and at the regional level, but her dream is to become a professional referee – and to one day step onto a FIFA pitch. “I want young girls to see me and know they can do anything,” she says. “It’s not about being a boy or a girl. It’s about passion and hard work.”

Beyond the pitch, she speaks on children’s radio programs, encouraging girls to stay in school and pursue what they love – even when others doubt them. “My journey is proof that with support, determination, and belief in oneself, girls can achieve anything,” she says.

Once she finishes her history studies at university, Yawa hopes to teach the history of football to young girls, helping them understand the sport not just as a game, but as a place where they belong.

“I would like to teach young girls about the history of football so that they understand that football is a universal sport that both girls and boys have the right to play,” she says.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What barriers do girls commonly face when trying to play football or take on leadership roles in sports?

Girls may face social pressure, limited access to teams and facilities, safety concerns, and fewer role models in coaching or officiating. Costs like uniforms, travel, and school fees can also make participation harder to sustain.

2. How can community programs and sponsorship support help girls access schooling, training, and safe places to play football?

Programs can reduce financial barriers to help keep girls in school, and create structured opportunities to train and compete. They also work with families, schools, and local leaders to make sports safer and more welcoming for girls.

3. How can football help challenge harmful gender stereotypes?

Sports programs can go beyond merely “including girls” by actively challenging unfair norms — such as who is allowed to lead, compete, or be heard. Football can help by building teamwork and confidence, and by making girls’ skills and leadership visible in public spaces.

4. Why does girls’ participation in football matter for their confidence, leadership, and opportunities — both on and off the field?

Sports can strengthen self-belief, decision making, and leadership — skills that carry into school, work, and community life. They can also create supportive peer networks and show communities that girls deserve equal space, time, and opportunity.