The state of Qatar ratified the CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women) U.N. convention in 2009. Qatar presented its first report in 2011, and in early 2014 its progress in implementing the CEDAW provisions came under review. At that point several shadow reports were submitted by international NGOs, and one was submitted by a group of local Qatari activists. One of the major criticisms was the lack of any independent NGOs in Qatar working on women’s issues. The head of the state delegation argued that the lack of local NGOs was not due to any state restrictions on their formation, but reflected a lack of need, as the state is held responsible for the protection and progress of women. For its part the state of Qatar has made tremendous strides in what could be termed as state feminism. Since drafting a new constitution in 2005, Qatar, a constitutional monarchy, has initiated several legal reforms affecting women. In 1998 the Supreme Council for Family Affairs was established. This organization, led by the dynamic former first lady, Sheikha Moza, focuses on a range of issues involving women, children, and families, and has taken the lead in supporting legal reform. One of the most important contributions has been towards providing educational opportunity to all its citizens including women. A direct result of this is a large number of highly educated young Qataris, many of whom are becoming more critical and impatient with the perceived slow empowerment of women. These activists argue that although they are grateful for the role the state has played in promoting and protecting women’s rights, there is still much work that needs to be done. This paper will look at the role of these activists in the struggle to empower women, and evaluate their strategy. Is highlighting the state’s failures to the international community, the most effective way to promote women’s rights? I will look specifically at the campaign to criminalize domestic violence, one of the major issues that activists called for in their report, and something the state is promising to put forward. Will the state go back to playing defense in terms of silencing any dissent, or will they be more proactive and actually speed up the process of criminalizing domestic violence.