According to the Guardian, the invasive search by Qatar Airways took place as a result of an abandoned newborn found in the airport bathroom.
Following this, women were intimately searched to find the mother of the newborn baby. Whether the mother has been determined after this has not been confirmed.
Qatar is an ultra-conservative Muslim monarch, where sex and childbirth before marriage are punishable by jail.
The search included 13 Australian women and has caused the women subjected to the search to suffer extreme distress and trauma as a result of what took place.
Qatar Airways treatment of women
This incident has since caused outrage and concerns about Qatar’s treatment of women.
The group of Australian women now has decided to file charges against the airport and seek a formal apology as well as compensation for the traumatic event.
Ahead of the world cup set to take place in 2022, the country has struggled to reassure critics that its promises to women’s rights, labor relations, and democracy are credible.
In an earlier statement, the department of foreign affairs and trade said reports indicated that the treatment of women was “offensive, grossly inappropriate, and beyond circumstances which the women could give free and informed consent”.
