In male-dominated fields, sports being one of them, it is no news that women who seek to excel there face unique challenges, and Joy Happiness Mukeshimana is no exception.

As a woman referee in sitting volleyball for a decade now, Mukeshimana says she has had to overcome challenges that could have ended her career if she was not strong enough to withstand and focus on fulfilling her dream.

As she narrates, in her first two years, it was hard to take up her role with ease because many people did not believe in her as they were used to male carrying out such responsibilities.

"It was hard for anyone to wrap their head around the fact that I am a woman referee who can officiate the game as the first (main) referee. But, since I knew what I wanted and what was good for me, with time I proved that this was not just a man’s job,” she adds.

Today, 30-year-old Mukeshimana says people have gotten used to her, and most importantly, they are impressed with her work and she is able to comfortably a game of any calibre.

Besides, she adds, when one decides to focus on sports, especially women, they need to persevere because one can only start reaping the fruits after making a long term commitment and putting in work.

Dreaming it and doing it

Growing up, Mukeshimana loved sports but unfortunately, she didn’t have anyone to inspire her to go for what her heart wanted.

Eventually, by watching sports a lot on television, she drew inspiration from different icons and their determination, and that is how she ended up in sports – first as a player, and later as a referee.

Mukeshimana is the most prominent woman referee in sitting volleyball in the country. / Photos: Courtesy

Mukeshimana, who also holds a bachelor's degree in biomedical laboratory sciences, tried out different disciplines while in secondary school, such as volleyball, basketball and football.

During her advanced level of high school at Gatagara High School – a school for the disabled, she couldn’t find any other game apart from sitting volleyball, which was the most popular sport at the school.

"Since I loved sports, I took this as an opportunity to try out something new, which I came to love,” she recalls.

Going by the international rules, you can’t participate in games meant for disabled people when you have no disability, and because of this, Mukashemana could not get an opportunity to participate.

It was because of the situation that she decided to rather shift her focus on refereeing, and afterward joined the referees’ commission in 2010. This, she says, is where her journey as a sitting volleyball referee officially started.

Five years down the line, she got a chance through the National Paralympics Committee (NPC) to participate in an international course as the only woman. And, after registering a great performance, she was offered a scholarship to study in Germany to learn more about disability sports.

Mukeshimana earned a professional certificate about disability sports in Germany.

Going forward, Mukashemana says with the experience she has as a referee in sitting volleyball, she wants to inspire the next generation of women referees.

Adding that apart from just being a referee, she also has skills in sports performance, sports medicine and sports psychology, which has benefited her and others involved in the industry.

And, as they say, learning is a never-ending journey. Mukashemana wants to continue learning and improving her standard and qualifications so her work can be more impactful and earn a living from it

Her message to people out there, especially young generation, is to chase their dreams, and not to purposely focus on money because "at the end of the day, money will come anyway.”