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Yamashita Yoshimi is Japan’s first female referee, and one of the three women who made it onto the list of 36 referees for the #FIFAWorldCup 2022. A native of Tokyo, Yoshimi told reporters: “The World Cup is a dream within a dream. It’s so much a dream that it was never real to me.” Yoshimi also refereed at the 2019 Women’s World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. She also became the first woman to referee matches in Japan’s domestic league J-League and Asian Champions League - Asia’s biggest club competition. Image 1: Women’s World Cup, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Image 2: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. REUTERS/Molly Darlington Image 3: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko Image 4: Women’s World Cup, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Salima Mukansanga is a Rwandan #FIFAWorldCup2022 referee – the 1st African woman to officiate a men’s World Cup match. Mukansanga was also a referee at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations – the first female referee in the tournament’s 65-year history. Born in 1988, Mukansanga became a FIFA registered international referee in 2012. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing and midwifery, according to the Rwanda New Times. Mukansanga is one of the three female referees that made it onto the list of 36 referees selected for this year’s #FIFAWorldCup. Source for Mukasanga’s quote: BBC, November 2022. Image 1: FIFA World Cup 2022. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay Image 2: FIFA World Cup 2022. AP Photo/Martin Meissner. Image 3: Africa Cup of Nations 2022. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani Image 4: Africa Cup of Nations 2022. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

History is being made at the #FIFAWorldCup 2022! It is the first time the top men’s football event has female referees. ⚽️👆 Today, the match between Costa Rica and Germany is officiated by Stephanie Frappart, a referee from France. She is leading an all-female referee crew, which has never been seen on a men’s World Cup pitch before. Two female assistant referees are Neuza Back from Brazil and Karen Diaz from Mexico. Last week, Frappart became the first woman to ever referee a men’s World Cup match. She was also the first woman to officiate the UEFA Super Cup in 2019. Source for Frappart’s quote: The Athletic, November, 2022 Image 1: The Women Euro 2022. AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino. Image 2: FIFA World Cup 2022. AP Photo/Moises Castillo Image 3: The French League One match in France, 2021. AP Photo/Michel Spingler Image 4: The Europa League match in Portugal, 2022. AP Photo/Luis Vieira Image 5: The Women Euro 2022. AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino.

Women in Iran have taken to the streets to protest the government’s mandatory rule to wear hijab. They burned their legally required headscarves and cut their hair. The protests were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody on September 16, after being arrested for wearing her headscarf “improperly.” Protesters see the hijab rule as the sign of government’s power and oppression, and demand women’s rights and freedoms. The Iranian government has been cracking down on the protests arresting the participants. Eight people have been charged with crimes carrying death penalty. Images: AP photo

The rules regarding hijab have sparked controversy and fierce debates in many countries, from France, Canada to India and Iran. Depending on the country, women are fighting against the bans to wear it or the mandatory rules not letting them take it off. Many Muslim women say that these are the two sides of the same coin: it’s about the woman’s right to choose. One of the prominent Muslim leaders who have spoken about it is Malala Yousafzai, Nobel laureate and women’s rights activist. She took to Twitter to express her views.

Headscarves have been banned at schools and colleges in India’s southern state of Karnataka. Students and activists took to the streets across India earlier this year to fight for their right to wear hijab. Human rights advocates say the ban marginalizes Muslim women and curtails the religious freedom. The government of Karnataka claims the headscarf ban is a “religion neutral” order. The case reached India’s Supreme Court but the judges failed to reach the verdict due to opposing views. India has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world – around 200 million. They are the biggest minority in the Hindu-majority country. Discrimination and attacks against Muslims, including lynchings, have been surging across the country in recent years. Image 1: Getty/Samir Jana/Hindustan Times Image 2: REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri Image 3: AP/Altaf Qadri

Our #StillHere immersive installation is available for viewing in Doha, Qatar during #FIFAWorldCup2022! Still Here features interactive VR, audio and AR, and the photo gallery. It is a part of the larger “Experience Al Jazeera” exhibit at the Fire Station Museum in Doha, open until March 25, 2023. Visit our link in bio to learn more!

If you’re in Doha, Qatar for #FIFAWorldCup2022, don’t miss an opportunity to see our immersive project #StillHere! It is showcased at the leading contemporary art space, @dohafirestation . And is a part of the larger exhibit spotlighting 25 years of Al Jazeera’s history. The exhibit is open until March 25, 2023. Visit the link in bio to learn more!

#StillHere came to Doha, Qatar during #FIFAWorldCup2022 - the biggest sporting event in the world! Still Here is being showcased at @dohafirestation , the leading contemporary art space in Doha. Our immersive installation is a part of “Experience Al Jazeera,” an exhibit that spotlights the history and stories of the Media Network. Click the link in our bio to learn more about the exhibit!

“I want to write stories about the whole world. Then everyone will know my name,” dreams Tabarak, 16, from Syria. Our #VR documentary “Dreaming in Za’atari” – made in partnership with @WorldVision – takes you into the worlds of three young Syrian refugees growing up in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp. The Syrian refugee crisis remains the world’s largest refugee and displacement crisis of our time. More than half of the country’s population – nearly 14 million – have fled Syria or are displaced within its borders. And half of the people affected by the refugee crisis are children.

“Being a refugee in America is bittersweet.” Four young refugees living in Southern California filmed their stories as part of our award-winning training initiative #MyPeopleOurStories. In partnership with @AccessCal , we trained them in multimedia storytelling and equipped them with 360º cameras. The result was a video series that won over the viewers’ hearts at the 2022 @shortyawards , receiving the Audience Honor in the 360º video category. Click on the link in our bio to watch the series!

Today the world marks #WorldRefugeeDay to honor the strength and courage of those forced to flee their homes. For the first time in history, the number of displaced people worldwide has surpassed 100 million, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine causing the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II. What are some of the countries where most refugees are coming from? (Source: UNHCR) UKRAINE: More than 4.8 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe since Russia’s invasion on February 24. (Image 1: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images) SYRIA: 6.8 million Syrian refugees are hosted in 128 countries. (Image 2: REUTERS/Aziz Taher) VENEZUELA: There are over 6 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants worldwide, fleeing violence and hunger, among other threats. (Image 3: REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo) AFGHANISTAN: There are 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees worldwide, the majority hosted by neighboring Pakistan. (Image 4: REUTERS/Mohsin Raza) SOUTH SUDAN: Most of 2.3 million South Sudanese refugees live in neighboring countries: Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda. (Image 5: REUTERS/James Akena) MYANMAR: Fleeing violence in Myanmar, more than 890,000 Rohingya have been sheltering in Cox Bazar’s region of Bangladesh — now home to the world’s largest refugee camp. The UN has described the Rohingya as “the most persecuted minority in the world.” (Image 6: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)