‘Systemic discrimination’: Veiled women in France face mounting barriers to employment

‘Systemic discrimination’: Veiled women in France face mounting barriers to employment Submitted by Tassa Adidi on Sun, 06/21/2026 - 11:01 From classrooms to hospital wards and independent practice, the hijab ban is curbing Muslim women’s professional paths Nurse Majdouline, dismissed for wearing a scrubcap at work, speaks to journalists in front of the administrative court in Paris on 23 December 2025 (Bertrand Guay/AFP) Off Are you better protected against Islamophobia in France when, along with your veil, you wear a lawyer's robe, a nurse's coat or have the status of a journalist or a teacher? For Slim Ben Achour, a lawyer at the Paris Court of Appeal, the answer is no. “Women with higher levels of education are more visible and therefore more victims of racism,” he told Middle East Eye.