In an off-field victory for human rights, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has reversed its sponsorship plans for the 2023 Women’s World Cup with Visit Saudi, Saudi Arabia’s state tourism authority. The Women’s World Cup is the premier global women’s football event and has long been one moment to celebrate Women’s rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights and inclusion.
FIFA’s award decision Saudi tour shows sponsorship of Women’s World Cup shocking disregard for The oppression and suffering of Saudi Arabia’s courageous women’s rights defenders who justify top female players condemned As oneown goal,
Saudi Arabia is a global outlier on women’s rights and also violates rights of LGBT people. As recently as 2018, women and girls were forbidden From sports in schools – or even watching sporting events in stadiums. On International Women’s Day in 2022, Saudi authorities passed Saudi Arabia’s first personal status law, which codifies oppressive male guardianship The rules and regulations contained discriminatory provisions against women’s decisions regarding marriage, divorce, and their children. In August 2022, Saudi Arabia Salma al-Shahab sentencedA Saudi doctoral student studying in the United Kingdom was jailed for 34 years for using Twitter.
Human Rights Watch have documented long-standing practice of Saudi Arabia”Washing,” which includes spending billions of dollars to host major sporting, entertainment and cultural events, as a deliberate strategy to deflect criticism from the country’s widespread and systemic violations of human rights.
Human Rights Watch writes to FIFA Saudi Arabia’s tourism authority on 3 February to underline the contradiction between its sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup and the football body’s claims that human rights are an important part of its values. We also asked FIFA whether it consulted with players, host countries and other stakeholders before signing the sponsorship deal. FIFA has not responded to the letter.
FIFA has Incorporated human rights since 2016 and adopted human rights policy adding that “human rights commitments are binding on all FIFA bodies and officials.” In practice, it is not live forever for these promises.
female soccer players are correct counter that their sport was being monetized by FIFA, without Security, access, equal pay For the same act, consultation or permission.
FIFA’s decision to reverse Saudi sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup should be the first step towards continued due diligence and redress on human rights in all of its operations.