The 2022 World Cup is being hosted in Qatar this year and has already got off to a bumpy start as just days before the event kicked off the Qatari royal family banned the sale of alcohol inside stadiums. LGBTQ campaigners are also up in arms about the decision to host the competition in the Islamic country, as they remain unconvinced that they will be safe if they travel to the World Cup amid reports the country had been set to deploy spies to arrest gay fans.
The country was also the subject of a lengthy report by the Human Rights Watch, as one researcher said that although the government bragged about being more equal than some, in reality, women have far fewer rights and less freedom than men. The controversial male guardianship rules mean that women need permission to marry, travel, pursue higher education, work in certain jobs - and even obtain reproductive health care.
