Every year, hundreds of Muslim women face discrimination in higher education and are excluded and deprived of training. From the recognition of this injustice and the desire to fight against it, Libawat was born, the union of Muslim women in Chalon-sur-Saône launched in September 2022.
“My name is Morgane, and I have lived in Chalon-sur-Saône all my life. In December 2022, I decided to inquire about resuming my studies and pursuing vocational training at the Chalon Formation Center. During a phone conversation, I was quickly made to understand that I would not be able to attend the courses offered by the institution if I wore my veil.” – Morgane, the collective’s president.
Depriving a person of the opportunity to educate themselves, learn, and thus access the job market is unjust and humiliating. Every school year, many women are prohibited from attending courses in professional training centers because they wear a veil. The administrations of these organizations discriminate in the application of their internal regulations, going against Law No. 2008-496, which “prohibits any discrimination based on membership or non-membership, real or supposed, in a specific religion regarding vocational training” as of May 27, 2008.
Following the collective’s inquiries, the management of the institution confirmed that the center does not accept students who wear the veil. This decision is both immoral and humiliating for many women who are excluded from these programs, but it is also illegal. Despite reminders, the management refuses to meet with members of the collective. Therefore, after several refusals to meet from the management, the members of the collective have decided to launch a petition to demand that the Chalon Formation Center put an end to their discriminatory practices, respect the law, and make their training accessible to all starting in the 2023 academic year.
To support the collective and demand access to education for all, join the 490 signatories of the petition.
This article has been translated from French. See the orignal version here.
