Nadine Osman
Muslim women in the Netherlands, particularly those who wear a hijab, face daily workplace Islamophobia, according to a study commissioned by the country’s Ministry of Social Affairs.
The study revealed that Muslim women who wear the hijab receive significantly fewer positive responses, such as job invitations, than other women, the difference ranging from 2 to 7 times fewer positive responses. Among women of Turkish-Dutch background who wear the hijab, 43 per cent reported experiencing discrimination during internships or work, compared to 38 per cent for those without the hijab.
Similarly, for Moroccan-Dutch women wearing the hijab, the discrimination rate was 37 per cent, against 29 per cent for those without the hijab. These discriminatory experiences were prevalent across various sectors but were more pronounced in roles involving customer interaction, retail, and the economic and commercial sectors.
Minister Kerien van Gennip of Social Affairs told parliament in a letter dated June 4 that the study by Radboud University confirmed the widespread discrimination faced by Muslim women. “External attributes, particularly the presence of a headscarf, feature prominently in these instances,” the minister stated. “Previous data indicated that Muslim women, irrespective of their headscarf status, encounter higher rates of job application rejections compared to non-Muslim women.”
Across all sectors, Muslim women frequently encounter discrimination, with significant occurrences in fields such as retail, economics, commercial sectors, and customer-facing roles, according to Van Gennip.
he research also highlighted that many Muslim women experiencing labour market discrimination often do not report it because they believe reporting is futile.
Discrimination against Muslim women in the workplace primarily manifests through microaggressions, which are subtle yet unwelcome behaviours that are often less apparent to those not directly affected compared to the Muslim women themselves, Van Gennip explained. Many women report biases from their employers concerning both their ethnicity and gender, including assumptions about their work ethic and caregiving responsibilities.
The outgoing Minister has urged the National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism to engage with employers regarding this form of racism. Furthermore, she proposed incorporating insights from the study into the forthcoming National Programme against Discrimination and Racism.
(Photo credit: .freepik.com)
