- Aug 20, 2000
- 20,577
- 432
- 126
The hijab and the job hunt
Muslim women say discrimination is common Stores should embrace diversity, retail council says
Muslim women face discrimination in Toronto's job market, if they wear the hijab ? religious headwear ? when applying for work, a study has found.
The report, which involved women who wore the hijab and those who didn't while seeking jobs, underlines what Naheed Mangla and her younger sister experienced at a recent job interview at a large franchise fashion retailer in the city.
"The woman (job interviewer) said to us, `If you want to work here, you've got to take off your hijab,'" recalled the 17-year-old from Vaughan, who started wearing the head covering when she was in Grade 9 as a commitment to her religious beliefs.
"But I wouldn't work without my scarf. This is all part of me, part of my religious and cultural identity."
The year-long study is the first time this kind of discrimination has been documented, said researcher Judy Vashti Persad.
I understand that in manufacturing roles where the extra cloth of the full-face hijab isn't a safety concern it shouldn't matter, but otherwise this is the stupidest study I've heard of being done in Canada all year. You don't need a study to point out that in a sales or services position, the customer needs to see more than your eyes to make a connection with the salesperson. Not to mention retail clothing sales...how can you recommend a piece of clothing in this society when your daily routine involves wearing a form-hiding sheet?
And the piece de resistance:
The report was funded with a $100,000 grant from the federal government and the city.
*screams*
Muslim women say discrimination is common Stores should embrace diversity, retail council says
Muslim women face discrimination in Toronto's job market, if they wear the hijab ? religious headwear ? when applying for work, a study has found.
The report, which involved women who wore the hijab and those who didn't while seeking jobs, underlines what Naheed Mangla and her younger sister experienced at a recent job interview at a large franchise fashion retailer in the city.
"The woman (job interviewer) said to us, `If you want to work here, you've got to take off your hijab,'" recalled the 17-year-old from Vaughan, who started wearing the head covering when she was in Grade 9 as a commitment to her religious beliefs.
"But I wouldn't work without my scarf. This is all part of me, part of my religious and cultural identity."
The year-long study is the first time this kind of discrimination has been documented, said researcher Judy Vashti Persad.
I understand that in manufacturing roles where the extra cloth of the full-face hijab isn't a safety concern it shouldn't matter, but otherwise this is the stupidest study I've heard of being done in Canada all year. You don't need a study to point out that in a sales or services position, the customer needs to see more than your eyes to make a connection with the salesperson. Not to mention retail clothing sales...how can you recommend a piece of clothing in this society when your daily routine involves wearing a form-hiding sheet?
And the piece de resistance:
The report was funded with a $100,000 grant from the federal government and the city.
*screams*
Facebook
Twitter