Female fans praise Qatar for banning alcohol at stadium
Many supporters were up in arms at the idea of the FIFA World Cup taking place in a conservative country like Qatar where the sale of alcohol is highly restricted, but for some female fans it has led to a safer experience at the tournament.
“I was expecting a very dangerous place for women. I didn’t think I was going to be safe here from coming here that’s not been the case, as a travelling female fan I can say that I have felt very safe,” England fan Ellie Molloson told Reuters.
“I’ve got to say coming here has been a real shock to my system,” said Molloson, 19, who runs the HerGameToo campaign. “There have been no catcalls, wolf whistles or sexism of any kind.”
Molloson, who is an ambassador for a campaign to tackle sexism in football called HerGameToo, said that her father had been so concerned that he accompanied her to Qatar to ensure that she would be safe, but it turned out his services as a chaperone were not needed.
The 19-year-old said that the lack of alcohol had contributed to a less bawdy atmosphere around the games at the World Cup, but in her opinion it was mostly cultural.
Female fans praise Qatar for banning alcohol at stadium
Alcohol is available in some bars and hotels in Qatar, but there is a conspicuous lack of the kind of consumption usually seen at the world’s biggest football tournament
