One of the fundamental questions regarding the 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar is what message it will send to women and girls around the world. FIFA claims to uphold human rights. However, the 2010 decision to award hosting duties for the 2022 tournament to Qatar was not without controversy.
In the 12 years since then, these problems have only gotten worse. The treatment of migrant workers leading up to the event has received continued attention, as has the way LGBTQ+ and women’s rights are violated by local law.
Misogyny, a sexist contempt and hatred of women, aims to keep women in a lower position than men within a patriarchal society. With discrimination against women enshrined in Qatari law – which does not criminalize domestic violence or sexual assault, among other things – misogyny is being broadcast on televisions internationally, through the 2022 FIFA World Cup for men.
Women in Qatar
Qatari law supports a deeply patriarchal system. Sex outside marriage is prohibited and Qatari women can only marry with the consent of a male guardian.
This controversial male guardianship system also determines women’s ability to study, drive and travel. Men have the undisputed right to divorce, but the grounds on which a woman can file for divorce are limited. Women are expected to obey their husbands and their priority is seen as the household.
Women cannot pass on nationality to their children as men can, nor can they be the primary caregiver of their children in the event of divorce or the death of their husband. Female beneficiaries receive only half of the inheritance their brothers receive.
Women are asked to provide proof of marriage in order to receive sexual health and prenatal care. And they have to adhere to a strict dress code.
Crucially, domestic violence and rape are not punishable. While family law prohibits moral or physical abuse by husbands against wives, reporting domestic violence or sexual assault is frowned upon as it is seen to bring shame to the family.
Both the lack of prosecution for domestic violence and blaming victims around sexual assault point to potential risks for women attending the World Cup. Research shows that women are at an increased risk of sexual assault at every major sporting event. It also shows, in the UK, the increase in domestic violence around World Cup matches and other major sporting events.
Women at the World Cup
Reports have shown that this increased risk has already resulted in many women not wanting to travel to Qatar for the World Cup. This in itself is discriminatory.
Those who nevertheless go to Doha are advised to adhere to a strict dress code. FIFA’s position on this is unclear. It states that people attending matches can wear whatever they want, but also that they must respect local laws. In public, women in Qatar are expected to cover up. They must forego tight clothing and not show their cleavage, knees or shoulders, and breaking these rules can result in jail time or fines.
Official advice for travelers published by the UK government also covers strict laws against relationships outside marriage. There are multiple instances where visitors are penalized for breaking these laws. In June 2021, a Mexican World Cup official reported that she had been sexually assaulted. As a result, she was charged with extramarital sex, which is against Qatari laws, rather than being seen as a victim of sexual assault. This saw her threatened with jail time and 100 lashes.
And in 2020, 13 Australian women were forcibly removed at gunpoint from grounded Qatar Airways planes in Doha. They were then forced to undergo internal investigations without their consent, while officials tried to locate the mother of a newborn baby found at the airport.
This subordination of women is in direct violation of human rights law. The United Nations and the European Convention on Human Rights categorically state that any compromise of women’s rights violates international human rights law.
Significant progress has been made in women’s rights around the world over the past 25 years, not least in football itself. Women’s football has recently taken on a huge appeal, especially with the success of the England women’s team winning the European Cup.
Hosting the men’s World Cup in Qatar, while not penalizing the country’s lack of progress on women’s rights, creates the impression that these rights are discretionary. However, preventing discrimination and violence against women and girls is never optional. This is not a cultural problem. It is a serious violation of human rights.
Sophie King-Hill, Senior Fellow at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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