Human Rights Watch: Qatari women face systemic discrimination under male guardianship rules

As reported by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its July 2026 update, women in Qatar continue to live under a restrictive male guardianship system that denies them basic autonomy and violates their fundamental human rights. According to the report, Qatari law and practice still require women to obtain permission from a male guardian—usually a father, brother, or husband—to marry, study abroad on government scholarships, or work in certain government positions. HRW documents that women under the age of 25 are frequently barred from traveling outside the country without guardian consent, and many find it nearly impossible to rent apartments or access reproductive healthcare without a male relative's approval. The report highlights that Qatari women remain unable to pass their nationality to their children or foreign spouses, a discriminatory policy that creates a class of 'second-class citizens.' Furthermore, according to HRW, the 'Family Law' continues to discriminate against women in matters of divorce and child custody, often leaving them vulnerable to financial abuse and domestic violence with little legal recourse. Critics cited by HRW argue that these systemic inequalities are often obscured by Qatar's state-sponsored 'feminism' narratives and the high-profile appointments of a few women to decorative political roles. As reported by the organization, the Qatari Penal Code still lacks specific provisions criminalizing domestic violence, and authorities have been known to assist guardians in forcibly returning 'absent' women to their homes, an act that HRW classifies as a form of state-sanctioned kidnapping.