Responding to reports that the Saudi tourism authority (Visit Saudi) is going to sponsor this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Amnesty International Australia campaign manager Nikita White has manifested:
“It would be quite ironic if the Saudi tourism authority sponsored the world’s largest celebration of women’s sports, considering that in Saudi Arabia women cannot even hold a job without the permission of their male guardian.”
“The Saudi authorities have a terrible record of human rights abuses, including the crackdown on women’s rights defenders.”
“There has been much talk in recent years about the release of activists in Saudi Arabia, including women who had campaigned for the right to drive, but those who criticize the authorities and defend human rights continue to be jailed after unfair trials. .”
“The campaign being carried out by the so-called reformist leader Mohammed Bin Salman is nothing more than a publicity stunt to try to diversify the economy. The sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup by the Saudi authorities would be a flagrant case of image laundering through a sporting event.”
Margaret Taylor, Community Manager at Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, said:
“The news is deeply disappointing given Saudi Arabia’s appalling human rights record.”
“It is especially concerning given the horrific abuses suffered by women, girls and LGBTQIA+ people in Saudi Arabia.”
“Amnesty International’s supporter base is calling on Sports Minister Grant Robertson to speak out on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, urge the country for real reform and pressure FIFA to do your own. This is not a celebration of women’s sports, but an image wash through sports.”
“It is time for Aotearoa to stand in solidarity with Saudi women and activists, showing that we will not allow Saudi Arabia to whitewash its image by using sport or hiding its record of human rights abuses.”