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Beaming Misogyny Around the World

November 27, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Qatari women will not be filling the seats. (Gazanfarulla Khan)
Qatari women will not be filling the seats. (Gazanfarulla Khan)

By Sophie King-Hill

One of the fundamental questions relating to the 2022 World Cup being hosted by Qatar is what message this gives to women and girls around the world. Fifa purports to uphold human rights. Its decision, in 2010, to award the hosting duties for the 2022 tournament to Qatar was not, however, without controversy.




In the 12 years since, these issues have only intensified. The treatment of migrant workers throughout the run-up to the event has garnered continued attention, as has the way LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights are contravened 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, among other things does not criminalise domestic violence or sexual assault – misogyny is being beamed through televisions internationally, via the means of the 2022 men’s football World Cup.

Women in Qatar

Qatari law undergirds a profoundly patriarchal system. Sex outside of marriage is banned and Qatari women can only marry with the permission of a male guardian.

This controversial system of male guardianship also shapes women’s ability to study, drive and travel. Men have the unquestioned right to divorce, yet the grounds on which a woman can apply for divorce is limited. Wives are expected to obey husbands and their priority is seen to be home making.

Women cannot pass nationality on to their children, as men can, nor can they be their children’s primary carer in case of divorce or the death of their husband. Female beneficiaries only get half of any inheritance their brothers receive.




Women are asked to provide proof of marriage to receive sexual health and antenatal care. And they have to abide by a strict dress code.

Crucially, domestic violence and rape is not criminalised. While family law forbids moral or physical assault by husbands against wives, reporting domestic abuse or sexual violence is frowned upon as it is seen to bring shame upon the family.

Both the lack of prosecution for domestic violence and the victim blaming that surrounds sexual assault point towards possible risks for any women attending the World Cup. Research shows that women face a heightened risk of sexual assault at any major sports tournament. It also shows, in the UK, the increase in domestic violence around World Cup matches and other big sporting tournaments.

Women at the World Cup

Reports have highlighted that this heightened risk has already resulted in many women not wanting to travel to Qatar for the World Cup. This, in itself, is discriminatory.

Those who do head for Doha are advised to follow a strict dress code. Fifa’s position on this is unclear. It states that people attending matches can wear what they want but also that they must respect local laws. When in public, women in Qatar are expected to cover up. They must forgo tight clothing and not show their cleavage, knees or shoulders, and contravening these rules can result in prison or fines.

Official advice for travellers published by the UK government also covers strict laws against relationships outside of marriage. There are multiple cases of visitors being punished for being seen to be in contravention of these laws. In June 2021, a Mexican world cup official reported that she was sexually assaulted. As a result of this, she was accused of extramarital sex, which is against Qatari laws, rather than being seen as a victim of sexual violence. This saw her threatened with imprisonment 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 examinations, without their consent, as officials sought to find the mother of a newborn baby who had been found in the airport.

This subordination of women is in direct conflict with human rights laws. The United Nations and the European Convention on Human Rights categorically state that any compromise of women’s rights contravenes international human rights laws.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s rights worldwide in the last 25 years, not least in the sphere of football itself. Women’s football has gathered enormous traction of late, particularly with the success of the England women’s team winning the European cup.

By holding the men’s World Cup in Qatar, and thereby not sanctioning the lack of progress the country has made in terms of women’s rights, the impression given is that these rights are discretionary. Preventing discrimination and violence against women and girls, however, is never optional. This is not a cultural issue. It is a serious breach of human rights.

Sophie King-Hill is Senior Fellow at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham.


The Conversation arose out of deep-seated concerns for the fading quality of our public discourse and recognition of the vital role that academic experts could play in the public arena. Information has always been essential to democracy. It’s a societal good, like clean water. But many now find it difficult to put their trust in the media and experts who have spent years researching a topic. Instead, they listen to those who have the loudest voices. Those uninformed views are amplified by social media networks that reward those who spark outrage instead of insight or thoughtful discussion. The Conversation seeks to be part of the solution to this problem, to raise up the voices of true experts and to make their knowledge available to everyone. The Conversation publishes nightly at 9 p.m. on FlaglerLive.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The Geode says

    November 28, 2022 at 8:47 am

    As people ignore laws and crime is spiraling downwards in OUR country, here we are again worrying about laws in another country. Let’s get OUR house in order before criticizing someone else. Ironically, NOBODY seems to care about worse crimes in Africa that have been happening for decades

    Reply
  2. R. S. says

    November 28, 2022 at 11:12 am

    On the other hand, one should consider the impact that the FREE women, who are in the stadia enjoying the game and acting as nutsy as all “futbol” fans the world over, have on women in the Middle East. The TV feed is not individualized, which means that also closeted women in the Middle East will see the future that they might have. That will engender pressures in the Middle Eastern societies also that the progressives will support there. Perhaps it’s also one of the more important steps toward liberation for feminism in the Arab countries to have the tournament that the world loves in Qat’r. There is a nominal women’s team in Qat’r. There may be moves on such a step toward equality in other countries of the Middle East.

    Reply
  3. Aj says

    November 28, 2022 at 4:32 pm

    Anti women, what else is new. Women have always been discriminated against. The sports arena is no different. Will it change, time will tell.

    Reply
  4. Laurel says

    November 28, 2022 at 5:41 pm

    And yet, Americans watch. They just don’t care.

    Reply
    • feddy65 says

      November 30, 2022 at 11:17 am

      Agreed, sometimes Americans are shallow because we keep our opinions, beliefs and ideals within our borders, same can be said about every country, the mentality is hey if it don’t affect me I don’t care. These countries have instilled these laws for thousands of years and it’s going to take a lot more than a protest at a major sporting event. How about FIFA shutting down the notion of having these types of events in these countries? FIFA can say anything they want about human rights, but they don’t practice what they preach because they are in it for the money.

      Reply
  5. Michael Cocchiola says

    November 28, 2022 at 6:08 pm

    Qatar?? I thought the author was talking about Alabama, or maybe South Carolina.

    Qatar is the model for life under Christian Nationalist rule with the bible serving as the new U.S. Constitution. Wait for it if extremist Republicans take control of the three branches of our government.

    Reply

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Thank you for being among the 25,000 readers who stop by here every day: You depend on FlaglerLive for reliable, fearless reporting and analysis you cannot get anywhere else. But like freedom, serious journalism depends on its advocates to survive. That means you. That means more than thoughts and good wishes are needed. As a challenging 2024 looms, take a stand for integrity and have a direct voice in fostering serious journalism in your community. As little as $10 makes a difference, or better still, become a monthly donor: Become a Friend of FlaglerLive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible. Click anywhere in this box and make a year-end gift that supports truth.

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