Voices on the Pitch Language, Power and Female Football Participation in Sierra Leone

Women’s participation in football has gained global recognition, yet in many developing football contexts it continues to be shaped by gender ideologies, dominant social discourses, and unequal power relations. In Sierra Leone, limited research has examined how language and discourse influence women’s experiences, identities, and participation in football. This study, Voices on the Pitch: Language, Power and Female Football Participation in Sierra Leone, investigated how discourses surrounding gender, competence, leadership, and belonging shape women’s involvement as players, coaches, referees, and administrators. The study adopted a mixed-methods design informed by Critical Discourse Analysis and feminist discourse perspectives. A total of 327 respondents were selected from female football stakeholders, comprising 286 players and 41 coaches, referees, administrators, and managers. Simple random sampling was used for players, while purposive sampling was employed for key stakeholders. Data were collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analysed thematically and through discourse analysis. The study achieved a 97% response rate, and the sample size was determined using Slovin’s formula at a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. The findings revealed that discourse significantly shaped women’s football participation. Female footballers were represented both as symbols of empowerment and achievement and through gendered narratives that questioned their competence and legitimacy. Language functioned as both a mechanism of exclusion and a tool of resistance. The study concludes that women’s participation is influenced by the interaction of language, ideology, and institutional power, and recommends gender-responsive communication, greater female representation in decision-making, and more inclusive discourse to advance women’s football in Sierra Leone.

Critical Discourse Analysis; Language and Power; Gender and Feminist Discourse; Identity Construction; Sierra Leone football

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