UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 64) ... the Government has taken various measures relating to the child, including, for example, by establishing a unit that deals with the rights of children, women and persons with disabilities in the National Human Rights Committee, pursuant to the Chairperson's decision No. 16 of 2010 on the establishment of legal units within the Committee. The unit is responsible for examining reports and complaints and appeals relating to violence against women ...

Para 66) In the context of strengthening the legal measures aimed at combating domestic violence, sexual assault and the exploitation of women and children and ensuring that those measures are implemented effectively, Qatar has adopted various legislative, policy and strategic measures and steps, including:
- With regard to legislation, for example, the Criminal Code and the legislation amending the Code contain penalties for offences that fall within the category of violence against women and children, including offences against honour, indecent acts and indecent assault, acts harmful to children, murder, abuse, abortion and abduction;
- The Human Trafficking Act includes harsh penalties for forms of human trafficking of which the victims are women and children, as these offences involve the most serious forms of violence against women and children such as the use of means of coercion or threat to exploit women and children in prostitution or forced labour;
- In the context of the legislative review, the Supreme Council for Family Affairs established a committee, chaired by the Council and with members drawn from the competent national authorities, to review the national legislation on domestic violence;
- Moreover the Supreme Council for Family Affairs established and presides over a team, whose members are drawn from other competent authorities, which is responsible for developing statistics on domestic violence;
- Strategies and national plans have included goals to strengthen services provided to the family, women and children with a view to protecting them against violence. The Strategic Plan for the Family 2011-2016 includes a goal relating to the protection of women from all forms of exploitation and violence, and the strategic implementation plan that was adopted includes a series of specific programmes and measures for the implementation of that goal through government and non- governmental agencies.

Para 67) ... In addition, the Council has established projects and activities on protection against domestic violence, victim protection mechanisms and a project to develop an early detection mechanism for use in schools with a view to protecting children from violence ... The Council prepares and issues periodic reports on monitoring and follow-up to the implementation of activities and the outcomes of the implementation plan for the sector in the context of the National Development Strategy 2011-2016, including outcomes relating to children's and women's rights.

Para 70) ... the Qatar Foundation for the Protection of Women and Children has published a manual on the detection of abuse (violence and neglect) involving children and women.

National Report:
Para 13) … A number of pieces of legislation have been enacted since submitting the second report in 2014, including the following: …
Amiri Decree No. 22 of 2017, by which four women were appointed to the Consultative Council;
Para 42) The State has continued to uphold women in positions of leadership and to support their involvement in public administration. This covers the exercise of political rights, including the right to vote and to stand for election to the Municipal Council, and is in line with international standards, particularly treaties regarding the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.
Para 43) Diagram 119 shows how the number of Qatari women in positions of leadership increased between 2008 and 2015. The rate of participation of Qatari women in the workforce remained stable at 36 per cent between 2012 and 2015 although significant progress was made in improving the balance between the work and life responsibilities of 13 women thanks to a revision of the 2009 Human Resources Act. The improved and more supportive working environment for women is partly due to the significant increase in the number of kindergartens and nurseries and the number of Qatari children enrolled therein; 71 per cent and 65 per cent respectively between 2011 and 2015. Para 44) Under Amiri Decree No. 22 of 2017, four women were appointed to the Consultative Council, thereby reaffirming the importance the State ascribes to the involvement of women in the legislature and to upholding their rights as enshrined in the Constitution. In addition, a number of women have been enrolled into the judiciary and the Office of the Public Prosecutor.
Para 45) The number of Qatari women diplomats doubled to 90 in 2017, of whom 3 are ambassadors. A female spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was appointed in November 2017, becoming the first Qatari woman to be assigned to the position. With that appointment, the new spokesperson joins the group of Qatari women holding senior positions in the diplomatic and political spheres. In addition, under Prime Ministerial Decree No. 16 of 2016, a woman was appointed as Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, while under Prime Ministerial Decree No. 21 of 2016, a woman was appointed as Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education. Under a further Prime Ministerial Decree, a woman was appointed as Assistant Undersecretary for the Development of Digital Society at the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Para 46) According to official statistics, the representation of women in decision-making positions stands at 30 per cent. The Qatar National Vision 2030 and the 2017–2022 population policy aim to increase this percentage by boosting the political involvement of Qatari women.

UN Compilation:
Para 44) … UNESCO also signalled that the official data revealed that it was mainly men who occupied leadership positions in Qatar University. Similarly, almost no women held leadership positions in corporations and in government.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 11) Despite the overall low representation of women in decision-making positions and only one among the ministerial portfolios, the NHRC believed that the State of Qatar enabled women to serve as judges in previous years, which is considered a precedent among Gulf Arab states.

National Report:
Para 12) Since submitting its second national report to the universal periodic review mechanism, Qatar has acceded to a number of instruments: … • ICCPR, under Decree No. 40 of 2018; • ICESCR, under Decree No. 41 of 2018;

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 2) The State has also acceded to the ICCPR and ICESCR.
Para 17) Joint Submission 4 (JS4) commended Qatar’s accession to the ICCPR and ICESCR) in 2018.
Para 18) AI expressed concern over the government’s sweeping reservations. Through lodging these reservations, Qatar has refused to fully recognize equal rights for women, including in matters of personal status laws, and has also stated that it will interpret the term “punishment” in line with the Islamic Shari’a.
Para 21) JS4 also stated that the sweeping reservations made to ICCPR and ICESCRs in respect to gender equality and declarations that appear to undermine the object and purpose of the Covenants, were regrettable, and that the gaps in domestic law and policy and the challenges that many individuals and groups faced in relation to their right to a nationality, detailed below, were all in clear violation of the international obligations of Qatar.