Qatar: Family Code Continues to Oppress Women Despite International Pressure

Human Rights Watch has released a critical assessment detailing how Qatar’s male guardianship system and discriminatory Family Code continue to severely restrict the autonomy and rights of women in the country. According to the report, despite government claims of modernization, women in Qatar still require the permission of a male guardian to marry, study abroad on government scholarships, work in many government jobs, and travel outside the country until the age of 25. As reported by Human Rights Watch, the state’s legal framework effectively treats women as perpetual minors. The report alleges that the Qatari authorities have ignored repeated recommendations from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to abolish the guardianship system. According to the findings, women who attempt to challenge these laws or report domestic abuse are often met with institutionalized bias, with police and judges frequently siding with male guardians under the guise of 'family unity.' The organization claims to have documented dozens of cases where women were forcibly returned to abusive households or prevented from leaving the country to escape violence. The assessment also highlights the lack of a law specifically criminalizing domestic violence, leaving women with no legal protection. Human Rights Watch asserts that the Qatari government uses its international platform to project a progressive image while maintaining a domestic legal system that systematically denies women equal rights. The report calls for urgent legislative reform and the immediate abolition of all male guardianship requirements, which it describes as a form of state-sponsored gender discrimination.