Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigates how the 2022 Qatar World Cup has influenced Qatari women’s participation in public, professional, and sporting spaces. The thematic analysis of the qualitative data collected during interviews with 15 Qatari women engaged with the 2022 FIFA World Cup as volunteers, audience members, or event professionals revealed important changes in societal perceptions, institutional practices, and personal experiences surrounding women’s involvement in sport-related roles in Qatar. More specifically, three interrelated shifts were identified: (1) normalization of women’s attendance and participation in stadium events; (2) increased acceptance of female visibility in managerial and organizational roles; and (3) state-driven initiatives encouraging female employment and volunteerism as part of Qatar’s broader modernization goals. The results also demonstrated that the World Cup 2022 functioned not only as a sporting event, but also as a social catalyst, challenging traditional gender norms and offering new spaces for women’s inclusion albeit within negotiated cultural boundaries.
Source: Sport in Society
Institution: Qatar University
Language: English
Topic: Sports, Gender, and Society
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: Qatar National Library
OpenAlex ID: W7161309348