Who We Are

Fertility, Faith & Family is the first interdisciplinary qualitative research project to explore women’s experiences with fertility preservation, such as egg and embryo freezing, in Qatar. As these technologies become more common globally and locally, they raise profound questions about family formation, gender roles, women’s empowerment, and Islamic bioethics.

It is also the first community engaged project with a similar scope. By bringing together social scientists, Islamic bioethics, service providers, policy makers and fertility specialists, the project investigates when and why women choose fertility preservation, how culture and religion shape their decisions, and what these technologies mean for Qatar’s evolving national landscape.

Through in-depth interviews and community engagement, the project aims to illuminate the social, ethical, and health dimensions of this emerging reproductive practice.

Our Activities

This multi-year research initiative in Qatar investigates the social, religious, and ethical dimensions of fertility preservation. By integrating qualitative interviews, community dialogues, and policy analysis, the project translates lived experiences into evidence-based resources for healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers. Our work is dedicated to fostering ethically informed and culturally contextual approaches to reproductive health.

Our Approach

Our research employs a rigorous, mixed-methods framework to investigate lived experiences with fertility preservation in Qatar. This methodology integrates in-depth qualitative interviews with women, partners, and healthcare professionals, quantitative public surveys, and structured community forums. Through systematic analysis, these approaches collectively produce nuanced, evidence-based insights that are both culturally grounded and directly applicable to clinical practice and policy development.

This initiative is led by the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) and conducted in partnership with a consortium of local and international institutions, including Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), and Yale University. With generous funding from the Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Council (QRDI), the project synthesizes cross-disciplinary expertise in sociology, medicine, bioethics, and public policy. We are actively seeking to broaden our network with policymakers, healthcare providers, academic centers, and community organizations to ensure the research remains comprehensive and impactful.

Our Partners