Three years ago, 23-year-old Amira Ismail became the first woman to obtain a license from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in the Gaza Strip, the Israel-blockaded Palestinian enclave ruled by the Islamist group Hamas since 2007. But due to several social pressures, and a long pause forced by the Covid-19 pandemic, Ismail had yet to officiate a match -- until this year.
At a recent basketball match in the Gaza Strip, the spectators were transfixed, less so by the action on the court than the fact that the referee was a young woman. "This time around, I was determined to get out there and use my international license on the field, because I deserve it. Everyone looks at me in amazement on the basketball court, wondering, 'who is she? Is she a foreigner or an Arab? What is she doing here?” Ismail said while talking to a news daily.
Ismail, who works day shifts in a hospital after completing her bachelor's degree in pharmacology, has refereed five men's matches, each time attracting curious glances. Gaza City player Ramzi Saba, said he was excited to see a female referee. "I know it's a normal thing outside Gaza, but I've never seen it here before," he said.
There are currently 15 FIBA-certified referees in Gaza, Ismail and 14 men, Ismail said she hopes to encourage broader women's participation in sports in Gaza. “I hope that the mere idea of seeing girls do sport becomes a normal thing here, so that girls are no longer afraid of the eyes of the rest of society.”