Austria’s headscarf ban for girls under 14 comes into force as schools reopen

Austrian schools are beginning the new academic year under a law banning traditional Muslim head coverings, including hijabs, for girls under 14.

The measure applies to public and private schools across the country. The government says it is intended to protect young girls and promote gender equality.

Integration Minister Claudia Bauer of the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) described the headscarf as “a sign of oppression and a means of controlling girls from the earliest childhood”. The law was introduced by the governing coalition of the ÖVP, the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal Neos.

Religious freedom concerns

The Islamic Community in Austria (IGGÖ) strongly opposes the ban. Carla Amina Baghajati, who represents the organisation, said it “unjustifiably restricts the fundamental right to freedom of religion and disproportionately affects Muslim girls”.

The IGGÖ said the measure could exclude the children it claims to support and said it would back legal challenges brought by girls and their families before Austria’s Constitutional Court.

The court struck down an earlier ban on headscarves in primary schools in 2020, ruling that it contravened the principle of Austria’s religious neutrality.

Enforcement and penalties

Teachers are expected to respond to violations by holding a series of discussions with the student and the student’s legal guardians. If the rules are repeatedly breached, child services must be notified. As a last resort, guardians could face fines of up to €800 (£685).

Some teachers have raised concerns about having to enforce the law. Green Party politician Sigi Maurer accused Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr of creating additional conflicts and placing responsibilities on teachers who were already under significant strain.

The opposition far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) says the law does not go far enough. It is calling for a wider ban on headscarves and face coverings for students and teachers.

Austria already prohibits full-face veils, including niqabs and burkas, in public. The new school law specifically targets traditional Muslim head coverings worn by girls under 14.

In France, schools have banned conspicuous religious symbols, including headscarves, turbans and kippas, for more than two decades. The IGGÖ has warned that European governments are increasingly using symbolic measures aimed at minority groups to address complex social problems.