Hard to cover up the many World Cup questions
Official-looking flyers have circulated on social media describing cultural expectations for fans attending the World Cup in Qatar. Some include rules for women’s attire: Shoulders and knees must be covered.
Problem is, it’s bogus.
While the local organising committee suggests that fans “respect the culture,” no one is expected to be detained or barred from games in Qatar because of clothing choices. But persistent rumours swirling around appropriate garb and modesty at soccer’s biggest tournament have also drawn attention to the country’s record on equality.
Rothna Begum, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, has studied Qatar’s male guardianship rules and women’s rights in the conservative country.
“There isn’t anyone is going to go around arresting you for this because there isn’t an official dress code,” Begum said. “There isn’t a compulsory dress code and you can’t get sanctioned for it. It’s just a social restriction, a tradition.”
The local organising committee includes a section on cultural awareness in its fan guide.
It says people can generally wear their clothing of choice but shoulders and knees should be covered when visiting public places like museums and other government buildings. The phrase “public places” is up to interpretation.
The American Outlaws, the US national team’s supporters’ group, produced its own fan guide.
“Fans can wear shorts and short sleeve shirts, and women are not required to cover their heads or faces. However, there are many buildings that require both men and women to cover their shoulders and knees before entering, including museums, shopping centres, and some restaurants,” the guide says. “It recommends t fans carry some pants and/or a top with sleeves if they plan on entering any buildings, as they may be asked to put them on. In the stadiums, men and women must wear tops since they are not permitted to go shirtless during matches or in public settings.
With Islam encouraging female modesty, most Qatari women wear headscarves and a loose cloak.
Begum, who wrote about Qatar and its treatment of women in a 2021 report for Human Rights Watch, said that women face discrimination in almost every facet of their lives. Women must get permission from male guardians to marry, pursue higher education and work at certain jobs. Guardians can bar women under 25 from travelling abroad.
It’s a conservative culture that has little tolerance for dissent among its own citizens, she said.
“There are no independent women’s rights organisations and that’s partly because the authorities have laws that make it difficult for you to set up associations that are in any way deemed political.”