Progress Amid Resistance

408 WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICAThe terms and conditions of polygamy are outlined in Article 14 ofthe personal status law. Polygamy is an accepted tradition but has becomeless widespread due to changing social and economic realities that place aheavy fiscal burden on the husband.An update to the penal code in 2004 formally criminalized slavery,bondage, and forced labor. Violations can result in prison terms of up toseven years. 28 Yet, despite measures taken by the government, includingthe creation of the National Organization for the Combating of HumanTrafficking (NOCHT) in 2005, Qatar remains a destination country forwomen who are trafficked and placed in situations of coerced labor. 29 In its2006 annual report the NHRC reported that trafficking in foreign womenwas on the rise. 30 Although Qatar codified expanded protections for foreignworkers, domestic workers, particularly from Asia, often labor underconditions approaching involuntary servitude (long hours, withheld pay,restricted movement), and some are sexually exploited. 31 The governmenthas put in place punishments for violators of the labor laws, and those foundguilty of withholding pay for forced labor are subject to prison terms of upto six months and fines of up to 3,000 riyals (US$825). 32 Nevertheless, thelaws are not consistently enforced, particularly for domestic workers, manyof whom are unwilling to report abuses. 33 Foreign embassies occasionallyprovide shelter for their citizens who have left employers due to abuse orfor other reasons. 34Women are generally free from torture and cruel, inhuman, and de -grading punishment, and violence against women outside the home is rare.Pursuant to Article 279 of the penal code, the maximum penalty for rapein Qatar is death, although no specific law protects women from domesticviolence. 35 Article 57 of the 2006 family law, however, states that a woman’smarital rights include the right to be free from physical and mental harm atthe hands of her husband. The Qatari Foundation reported 107 instances ofdomestic abuse in 2007. 36 Additionally, according to a 2006 survey carriedout by the SCFA, nearly 20 percent of the 2,787 female Qatar Universitystudents questioned had been subjected to childhood violence. 37 In an ef -fort to further understand the role of violence in Qatari society, the SCFAis currently conducting a survey of violence against married women. 38 TheQatar Foundation has established a family consultation center and a hotlinefor women and children to report abuse and continues its efforts to educatewomen on their legal rights and advocate on their behalf. 39