Muslim women face discrimination at work almost daily

Many Muslim women in the Netherlands, especially those who wear a headscarf, experience discrimination at work on a daily basis, according to a study by Radboud University. The research confirms the existing picture that Muslim women are extremely vulnerable to discrimination, Minister Kerien van Gennip of Social Affairs, who commissioned the study, said in a letter to parliament.

“External characteristics play a role in these reports, especially when it concerns women wearing a headscarf,” the Minister wrote. “Previous figures showed that Muslim women - with and without a headscarf - are much more likely to be rejected from job applications than non-Muslim women.”

Muslim women face regular discrimination in all sectors. “But more often and explicitly in professions like retail, economics, and commercial sectors and in professions that require customer contacts,” Van Gennip said.

Discrimination against Muslim women at work is mainly expressed in microaggressions. “A subtle, often not very open form of unwanted behavior that is usually less visible to people it does not concern than to the Muslim women in question,” Van Gennip said.

Many women report that their employers have biases on both their ethnicity and gender. “Such as that they have a poor work ethic or many caring responsibilities.”

The outgoing Minister has asked the National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism to discuss this form of racism with employers. She said insights from the study can also be included in a next National Program against Discrimination and Racism.