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The Qatar World Cup is beaming misogyny around the world

<p>One of the fundamental questions relating to the 2022 World Cup being hosted by Qatar is what message this gives to women and girls around the world. Fifa <a href="https://www.fifa.com/social-impact/human-rights#:%7E:text=%E2%80%9CFIFA%20is%20committed%20to%20respecting%20all%20internationally%20recognised,UN%20Guiding%20Principles%20on%20Business%20and%20Human%20Rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purports to uphold human rights</a>. Its decision, in 2010, to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/dec/02/qatar-win-2022-world-cup-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">award</a> the hosting duties for the 2022 tournament to Qatar was not, however, without controversy.</p> <p>In the 12 years since, these issues have only intensified. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-world-cup-puts-the-spotlight-on-qatar-but-also-brings-attention-to-its-human-rights-record-and-politics-4-things-to-know-194970" target="_blank" rel="noopener">treatment of migrant workers</a> throughout the run-up to the event has garnered continued attention, as has the way <a href="https://theconversation.com/world-cup-2022-fifas-clampdown-on-rainbow-armbands-conflicts-with-its-own-guidance-on-human-rights-194485" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBTQ+ rights</a> <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/2015/05/27/fifa-bribery-corruption-qatar-world-cup-worst-ever/28014953/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and women’s rights</a> are contravened by local law.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/stopping-violence-against-women-starts-with-learning-what-misogyny-really-is-175411" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Misogyny</a>, a sexist contempt and hatred of women, aims to keep women in a lower position than men within a patriarchal society. With discrimination against women enshrined in Qatari law – which, among other things does not criminalise domestic violence or sexual assault – misogyny is being beamed through televisions internationally, via the means of the 2022 men’s football World Cup.</p> <h2>Women in Qatar</h2> <p><a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/qatar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qatari law</a> undergirds a profoundly patriarchal system. Sex outside of marriage is banned and Qatari women can only marry with the permission of a male guardian.</p> <p>This controversial system of male guardianship also shapes women’s ability to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/mar/29/were-treated-as-children-qatari-women-tell-rights-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study, drive and travel</a>. Men have the unquestioned right to divorce, yet the grounds on which a woman can apply for divorce is limited. Wives are expected to obey husbands and their priority is seen to be home making.</p> <p>Women <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/03/29/everything-i-have-do-tied-man/women-and-qatars-male-guardianship-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cannot pass</a> nationality on to their children, as men can, nor can they be their children’s primary carer in case of divorce or the death of their husband. Female beneficiaries only get half of any inheritance their brothers receive.</p> <p>Women are asked to provide proof of marriage to receive sexual health and antenatal care. And they have to abide by a strict <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/09649429610109271/full/html?casa_token=naTUyIdS9wgAAAAA:wqUgZBFDLUqiTioqcQJYMkymKOKVfNcmEUzYWCkZr_kVmJEm-pJsYcd5179NhHKCSX4sDIu6Aklz1m6_l92YYnXaAmRdQE9zn_wOW1ldYnuJu4KF_o0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dress code</a>.</p> <p>Crucially, domestic violence and rape is not criminalised. While family law forbids moral or physical assault by husbands against wives, reporting domestic abuse or sexual violence is frowned upon as it is seen to bring <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gender-Violence-Praeger-Security-International/dp/0313359954/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=1174279316512322&amp;hvadid=73392656152523&amp;hvbmt=be&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvlocphy=4900&amp;hvnetw=o&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvtargid=kwd-73392591771253%3Aloc-188&amp;hydadcr=10841_1825545&amp;keywords=gender+and+violence+in+the+middle+east&amp;qid=1669211683&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shame upon the family</a>.</p> <p>Both the lack of prosecution for domestic violence and the victim blaming that surrounds sexual assault point towards possible risks for any women attending the World Cup. Research <a href="https://rss.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1740-9713.2012.00606.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a> that women face a heightened risk of <a href="https://theathletic.com/3583817/2022/09/22/world-cup-sexual-violence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sexual assault</a> at any major sports tournament. It also shows, in the UK, the increase in domestic violence <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022427813494843" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around World Cup matches</a> and other <a href="https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/lessons-learned-from-the-domestic-violence-enforcement-campaigns-2006/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">big sporting tournaments</a>.</p> <h2>Women at the World Cup</h2> <p>Reports <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2022/11/18/fifa-theres-not-a-woman-i-know-that-is-going-to-the-world-cup-in-qatar-17769410/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have highlighted</a> that this heightened risk has already resulted in many women not wanting to travel to Qatar for the World Cup. This, in itself, is discriminatory.</p> <p>Those who do head for Doha <a href="https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/qatar/local-laws-and-customs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are advised</a> to follow a strict dress code. Fifa’s <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/fifa-world-cup-wearing-shorts-revealing-clothes-in-qatar-may-land-you-in-jail-1563943" target="_blank" rel="noopener">position</a> on this is unclear. It states that people attending matches can wear what they want but also that they <a href="https://theislamicinformation.com/news/qatar-jail-women-wearing-inappropriate-clothing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">must respect local laws</a>. When in public, women in Qatar are expected to <a href="https://core.ac.uk/reader/17244280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cover up</a>. They must forgo tight clothing and not show their cleavage, knees or shoulders, and contravening these rules can result in prison or fines.</p> <p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/qatar/local-laws-and-customs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Official advice</a> for travellers published by the UK government also covers strict laws against relationships outside of marriage. There are multiple cases of visitors being punished for being seen to be in contravention of these laws. In June 2021, a <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/world-cup-worker-threatened-100-lashes-after-sexual-assault-qatar-1680871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mexican world cup official</a> reported that she was sexually assaulted. As a result of this, she was accused of extramarital sex, which is against Qatari laws, rather than being seen as a victim of sexual violence. This saw her threatened with imprisonment and 100 lashes.</p> <p>And in 2020, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/oct/21/australian-women-sue-qatar-airways-over-forced-examinations-at-doha-airport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13 Australian</a> women were forcibly removed, at gunpoint, from grounded Qatar Airways planes in Doha. They were then forced to undergo internal examinations, without their consent, as officials sought to find the mother of a newborn baby who had been found in the airport.</p> <p>This subordination of women is in direct conflict with <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/qatar/report-qatar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">human rights laws</a>. The <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/resources/human-rights-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations</a> and the <a href="https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/convention_eng.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Convention on Human Rights </a> categorically state that any compromise of women’s rights contravenes international human rights laws.</p> <p>Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s rights worldwide in the <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/08-03-2020-women-s-health-and-rights-25-years-of-progress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last 25 years</a>, not least in the sphere of football itself. <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-football-needs-a-gender-revolution-182394" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women’s football</a> has gathered enormous traction of late, particularly with the success of the England women’s team winning the European cup.</p> <p>By holding the men’s World Cup in Qatar, and thereby not sanctioning the lack of progress the country has made in terms of women’s rights, the impression given is that these rights are discretionary. Preventing discrimination and violence against women and girls, however, is never optional. This is not a cultural issue. It is a serious breach of human rights.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-qatar-world-cup-is-beaming-misogyny-around-the-world-195242" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Podcast hosts slammed for disgusting remarks about women's postpartum bodies

<p><em>Image: Getty </em></p> <p>The male hosts of a concerning new podcast have received major backlash over comments made claiming they’d leave their future wife if she didn’t lose weight after giving birth.</p> <p>Brothers Anthony Casasanta and Nick Casasanta launched “The No Filter Pod” earlier this month with friend Jason Girratano – describing it as “the most blunt podcast in the world”.</p> <p>While their show is deliberately “controversial”, many are condemning the show over comments made by Anthony about a potential future wife’s body after she gives birth to his child.</p> <p>The comments have been quickly gone viral, with women branding them “disgusting”, “horrendous” and “God awful”.</p> <p>In a statement issued to news.com.au, “The No Filter Pod” said the comments had been taken “out of context” but doubled down on the controversial remarks.</p> <p>“We just don’t want our wives to be obese. We feel as if society promotes obesity which is a very unhealthy and uncomfortable way of living.</p> <p>“We promote healthy lifestyles here at NoFilterPod. It’s also not only about weight gain after childbirth, it’s also about mental health as well as the physical health. We feel like it’s very important to hold spouses both men and women to a high standard.”</p> <p>The backlash was sparked by the men themselves, who all play NFL in the US, after they shared the clip on TikTok, asking: “Is this too much?”</p> <p>“If my wife lets herself go after I have kids with her, I’m going to tell her once,” Anthony tells Nick and Jason.</p> <p>“‘If you don’t get your sh*t together, because I still want to be sexually attracted to my wife, my spouse, but if you can’t do that, I’m out’.”</p> <p>The guys said they were prepared a negative reaction but received an avalanche of a response, predominantly condemning the view and labelling it “misogynistic”.</p> <p>“We really feel as the video was taken out of context,” the trio said in a statement.</p> <p>“We will not be apologising.”</p> <p>Women have fought back in droves, with many creating videos in response to the clip, while others flooded the guys social media feeds with their thoughts forcing the podcast hosts to turn off comments.</p> <p>“Where is the respect, the love, the admiration for his partner. I actually feel sorry for him. Clearly he has no idea what love is,” one woman said.</p> <p>As one simply stated: “I can’t even comment on this cus the outrage is just UNREAL.”</p> <p>Comments on the guys’ personal Instagram accounts, which haven’t yet been disabled, displayed a similar response.</p> <p>“You’ve made a fool of yourself and you’ve made an already foolish world more worrisome,” one raged.</p> <p>“Why are you turning off your comments? yallll are a joke and can’t take the heat,” another lamented.</p> <p>Anthony, Nick and Jason have claimed they are receiving death threats over the outcry but have continued to post clips on TikTok on topics surrounding cheating, “fitness chicks” and female vs male value.</p> <p>According to the boys, girls who workout are “superior to all women”, calling them “top of the line”.</p> <p>They also reckon “girls cheat more than guys” and women seek “financial security from their husbands” citing that all they ask for in return is that “you don’t sleep around with like 50 other dudes”.</p> <p>These statements have obviously not gone down well, with words such as “repulsive”, “vile” and “red flag” being used to describe them in the comments.</p>

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Real estate agent forced to apologise for offensive, sexist post

<p>A blog post on an Australian real estate website targeting single women buying properties has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.</p> <p>The article titled "Buying as a single lady" was published on Bathurst Real Estate's website and was quickly removed after backlash on social media claimed the post was "sexist" and "misogynistic".</p> <p>The piece started off on a positive note, empowering women who are planning on purchasing a property: “You’re a single lady and you’re content not (to) have a ring on your finger”. But it then took a sharp turn that angered many people online.</p> <p>“You may prefer the emotional and financial back-up of a spouse,” the post reads.</p> <p>The article continues to suggest single women can "go wild when buying" as they are "responsible only for themselves".</p> <p>It also says women “are well known for reasoning with their hearts, not their heads - and many of us love to nest.”</p> <p>Women are then issued a warning, saying property buying can quickly go south “especially if there is no man beside you to offer logic to the situation”.</p> <p>The real estate agency swiftly removed the post from their website and apologised on Facebook.</p> <p>“This is so misogynistic it’s almost comical,” one woman who reposted the article on Facebook wrote.</p> <p>“Thanks so much for this super helpful blog post Bathurst Real Estate! I can’t wait for your next post on ‘Buying as a Single man’, Oh wait...</p> <p>“Next time I go to purchase anything I’ll be sure to bring a man with me to both pay for it and also offer logic, because as you said, women are well known for not using their head and I guess none of us have any money of our own!” the bemused woman continued.</p> <p>“This is the most offensive piece of s**t I have ever read,” another person wrote.</p> <p>“Holy s**t it had never occurred to me that buying a property would represent a big proportion of my hard work and savings! I thought it would be like buying a new eyebrow pencil or baking a cake!” another woman wrote sarcastically.</p> <p>“Does this mean that me and my partner aren’t able to buy a house because we are both women and don’t know how to use our heads?” a user asked.</p> <p>Men also seemed to be equally offended by the article.</p> <p>“I think they need a new password… surely this has got to be a hack from a sacked staff member,” one man suggested.</p> <p>Bathurst Real Estate claimed the post was written by a female from a content marketing agency who was outsourced to create content.</p> <p>The real estate agent apologised for any offence that was caused, claiming the article had gone live without their knowledge and they removed it as soon as they were aware of it.</p>

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