France's systemic Islamophobia drives Muslim women out — report

Increasing Islamophobia at the political and societal levels leads to the exclusion of veiled women from society, despite them being born and raised in France, being highly educated and possessing professional skills that would contribute to the country.

Interviews by Anadolu with 20 Muslim women who left or planned to leave France revealed workplace discrimination.

The report showed that discrimination and lack of social acceptance often force Muslim women to seek job opportunities beyond the borders of France.

The report, aimed at examining the extent of Islamophobia toward women in France and provided a list of recommendations to combat the discrimination, highlighted how "coercive policies" completely restrict veiled women from working in the public sector, reinforce discrimination against the headscarf in the private sector and increase Islamophobia at the societal level.

In addition to facing discrimination in the workplace, Muslim women in France also experience discrimination in education and civil society.

The ban on headscarves in France keeps veiled women from schools and negatively affects their careers and general well-being.

Despite their motivation to contribute to French society, Muslim women are not allowed to share their skills and experiences in educational environments.

Denied rights

The prevention of the participation of Muslim women in civil society activities emerges as another area where they feel excluded.

French Muslim women, whose views were consulted for the report, shared that they chose to leave the country and continue their careers abroad due to the prevalence of Islamophobia.

Muslim women who choose to stay in France are forced to make difficult decisions such as removing their headscarves to conform to societal pressure or withdrawing from the workforce in the face of discrimination.

Islamophobic state policies and society's discriminatory attitude in France exacerbate the problems faced by Muslim women, who make up about 7 million, or 10% of the population.

The report highlights the lack of solution-oriented policies for the Muslim community in France, where religious symbols, including headscarves, were banned in schools in 2004 and expanded in 2010 to include veils covering the face entirely in public spaces.

In the recommendations section of the report, policymakers are advised to develop inclusive and participatory policies, recognise Islamophobic attitudes as hate crimes, and implement deterrent sanctions against actions stemming from Islamophobia.