Women wearing hijabs (Muslim headscarves) are being discriminated against by businesses in Egypt, a BBC Arabic investigation has discovered.
The evidence appears to violate Egypt’s constitution, which bans discrimination based on religion, sex, race or social class.
Since 2015, some Egyptian women wearing a hijab have taken to social media to complain about such treatment.
Mayar Omar, a 25-year-old research executive from Cairo, says she has faced repeated problems going to some high-end restaurants.
“You want to feel that you can be yourself when you enter a venue and no-one is forcing you to do something, or make you feel that you are the cause of a problem for the venue or your friends.”
On hijabi lifestyle social media groups, BBC News Arabic found what appears to be a growing trend, with women accusing numerous venues of refusing them entry if they are wearing a hijab.
“In most cases the main cause is classism,” Nada Nashat, a lawyer and women’s rights activist, said. “So we find discrimination against hijabi women in venues that like to present themselves as upper-middle or upper class.
“But we also find discrimination against non-hijabi women in lower and middle classes.”
Most of the venues asked for the social media profiles of all guests and 11 venues stated that head coverings were not allowed. —BBC
