Boushra Karboubi's work is the protection and enforcement of the law. She uses her whistle and papers on the field to maintain order, but in her daily job, handcuffs are the main tool.
Karboubi is an international football referee and a policewoman in the city of Meknes in northern Morocco.
Karboubi told BBC Sport Africa: "Being a policewoman means applying justice to me."
"As a referee, I am the one who applies the law and this is good and profitable for both parties, because it is my job and my passion and they are connected to each other."

Karboubi is the only female referee among officials in the matches of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations held in Ivory Coast.

In 2022, Rwandan Salima Mukansanga made history when she became the first woman to referee a men's Africa Cup of Nations match in Cameroon.
Karboubi matched this achievement last month, leading an all-women football officials team when Nigeria beat Guinea-Bissau in the group stage.

The central role Karboubi plays in the ongoing tournament makes her the first North African woman to referee in the men's Africa Cup of Nations.
About her participation, she says: "I have overflowing feelings. It is an honor for me, my family, my country, and African women in general."
Karboubi, 36, added that her identity is not formed only by her two jobs.
"True, at work I am a police officer, and on the field I am a referee. But at home, I am a woman, I am the lady of the house and a mother to a daughter."

Breaking the stereotype

In her youth, Karboubi loved playing football but stopped due to the lack of organized women's football at that time.
Therefore, she decided to get involved in match management where she saw more opportunities as a referee.
Karboubi faced resistance from her family in pursuit of her dreams, as she told the Arab UN Women agency in 2021: "I grew up in a small conservative town; therefore, it was difficult for my family to accept the fact that I wanted to continue my career in sports."
Her brothers were the biggest obstacle for her
Once, they found her assistant referee flag and tore it, which made her cry, but she got up, repaired the torn flag, and continued training.
But in 2007, her father saw her refereeing a women's match, and since then she has received support to follow the path she chose. Today, she is a pioneer for Arab women in this field.
Alongside being the first Arab woman to referee a men’s match in 2020, Karboubi is also the first African woman qualified as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Morocco and Egypt are the only two countries in Africa that have fully implemented VAR technology in local leagues.
"I am lucky to be Moroccan; Morocco is the first African country to introduce VAR technology," Karboubi explains about her involvement in video management.
"I was then able to work as a VAR referee in the final of the 2021 men's Africa Cup of Nations, and that was an honor for me."
"This means that women can work in all fields like men. We have always fought to be alongside men. And we were able to show that wherever we are."
Karboubi’s first international refereeing role was at the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Police officer
Female referees around the world leave their mark on this beautiful game.
In 2022, Frenchwoman Stéphanie Frappart became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup tournament, taking charge of a group stage match between Costa Rica and Germany.
Despite these achievements so far, Karboubi feels women still have to put in extra effort to prove their competence.
She explains, "It is true that women, to reach this level, must work harder, because to be ready for men's matches, we must be physically fit like men."
"Then, the technical experience, which we must necessarily have, regarding the rules of the game."
"If a man makes mistakes, they say he is a man, he is only human. But a woman will be criticized twice because she is a female referee."
In her country Morocco, Karboubi works as a police inspector and receives support from her colleagues who are always curious about her duties in football refereeing.
"They gave me some feedback: Why didn’t you do that? Why did you do that? Why did you whistle for a penalty? Explain to us the reason for the red card, but they constantly encourage me, and I appreciate their support."
Karboubi believes the two jobs complement each other.
She added, "Refereeing helped me a lot to be a good police officer, and my work as a police officer helped me to have a strong personality on the field as a referee."
Karboubi, a mother of one, aspires to referee a men’s World Cup final one day after making her debut at the FIFA Women's World Cup last year.
She hopes that her achievements so far in two male-dominated fields inspire young women in the Arab world and other regions of the world that women can pursue all fields.
She says: "Maybe men dominate this field, but today we have managed to show that even women are capable of doing it