Daniela Crawford, who was traveling from Brazil to attend the World Cup in Qatar, was concerned about conservative dress codes. But, like many of the fans attending the tournament, had no problems.
“In Brazil people are used to it, but we came here and decided to show who we are,” said Crawford, clad in shorts, as she was photographed with a Brazilian flag alongside her husband and two children outside the city of La Doha before the quarter-final match between Brazil and Croatia last week.
This is the first World Cup to be held in an Arab country and Muslim. In preparation, the Qatari government, FIFA and national governments advised participants from around the world to do so respect local customsfrom women’s clothing to alcohol consumption.
minor adjustments
Many fans who spoke to the Associated Press said that despite their concern, they hadn’t had any problems and just needed to do minor adjustments the way you dress.
Some have welcomed Qatar’s strict restrictions on alcohol consumption and said it made them feel safer. Qatar, for its part, presents the tournament as an opportunity to do so overcome stereotypes on the role of women.
Qatar is a conservative nation and most Qatari women in public they wear the veil on their heads and loose tunics. But it is also home to an international population of more than 2 million foreign workerswhich far exceeds almost 300,000 citizens, so it is not a country unaccustomed to foreign women.
Bernie Ragay, a Filipina who has worked in Qatar for eight years, said she always felt safe, “safer than in my country”. clothing is not a problem as long as the limits are known, she added, noting that she was wearing a crop top.
respect the culture
“You can’t walk down the street with back in the air You have to respect their culture.”
Isabeli Monteiro, a 32-year-old Brazilian football fan, said she wore longer skirts instead of shorts and had had no problems. “In any case, no one looks at usabove all because we are in a World Cup with different cultures from all over the world”.
Women have played a key role in organizing the World Cup, including several senior positions in the Supreme Committee, the body responsible for the tournament, said Fatma Al Nuaimi, a spokeswoman for the Supreme Committee.
He said he hoped one of the tournament’s legacies would be the change of attitude towards the women of the region.
“Many people have the wrong idea, especially regarding the role of women in Qatar or the region,” she said. Fans who come to Qatar see that “women have rights and they have power,” she said.
The Qataris
Qatar has said improving the situation of women in the small Gulf nation is one of its priorities. women occupy several important government posts and the academic world; there are three ministers in the cabinet. The mother of the ruling emir, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Missned, is one of the most famous women in the Arab world, known for championing social causes.
Qatar also has one of the indices of the highest female education in the Arab world. There are twice as many Qatari women studying at university as Qatari men, and nearly all Qatari children – boys and girls – attend primary school.
However, the country has spent years occupying the bottom positions in the World Economic Forum’s Global Report on the Gender Gap, which analyzes the differences between women and men in employment, education, health and politics.
Rights groups are particularly targeting laws that require permission from a male guardian for a woman to travel or marry, arguing that women often need the same permission to work or for some forms of home care. gynecological exams.
About 37 percent of Qatari women are employed, a high figure for the region but one that has remained stable in recent years, according to government statistics. By comparison, Saudi Arabia has seen more aggressive growth, with the proportion of employed Saudi women rising from 14% in 2019, one of the lowest in the region, to nearly 27% this year.
Mead El-Amadi, director of the FIFA Fan Festival in Doha, said the women involved in organizing the tournament they will be role models for other women who want to get into the football business or sports in general.
“Globally, soccer is a male-dominated sport,” he said. But she said the female organizers had the support of their male colleagues “to make it possible and for the world to look at us today, delivering this great event.”
By Helena Alves and Lujain Jo, Associated Press
Translation: Elisa Carnelli
ap
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.