EXPLAINER: Status of women in Qatar, host of World Cup

By ISABEL DEBRE
Associated Press

The foreign fans flocking to Doha for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will find an emirate where women have been driving for decades, hold public office and wield influence through other high-profile roles. Women in Qatar long have enjoyed greater freedoms than in Saudi Arabia, its more conservative neighbor. But both countries adhere to the same ultraconservative form of Islam known as Wahhabism. The Qatari legal system, based on Islamic law or Shariah, differentiates between women’s and men’s rights and responsibilities. There are many barriers to women’s advancement in politics and the workforce. Here’s a look at the status of women in the country.