Austria Set to Approve Headscarf Ban for Girls Under 14

Austrian lawmakers are expected to approve a new law on Thursday that bans girls under 14 from wearing Islamic headscarves in schools,  a move rights groups warn is discriminatory and could deepen social divisions.

The conservative-led government, facing rising anti-immigration sentiment, introduced the bill earlier this year, arguing the measure will protect girls “from oppression.”

The proposal comes despite a similar 2019 primary school headscarf ban being struck down by Austria’s constitutional court for discriminating against Muslim children.

Under the new legislation, girls under 14 would be barred from wearing any Islamic veil, including hijabs and burqas, in all schools.

Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm claimed the practice is not religious but “oppression,” saying girls should not be taught to hide themselves from men.

The ban is expected to take effect in September, with an initial grace period beginning in February, during which schools will be informed but not penalized.

Parents who repeatedly violate the rules could face fines between 150 and 800 euros.

The government estimates that around 12,000 girls may be affected, citing a 2019 study showing 3,000 girls below 14 wore headscarves at the time.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International Austria, condemned the bill as “blatant discrimination” and warned it fuels anti-Muslim prejudice.

Austria’s official Islamic community body, IGGOe, said the move risks “stigmatizing and marginalizing” children rather than empowering them.

Women’s rights organisations also criticized the proposal, arguing it sends the message that the state can dictate choices about girls’ bodies.

The far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) said the ban does not go far enough and demanded it be extended to all students, teachers and school staff.

While the government maintains the law is constitutional, legal experts such as Heinz Mayer disagree, pointing to the court’s earlier ruling that the previous ban targeted a single religion and therefore violated equality principles.

Austria’s debate echoes France’s long-standing restrictions under its secularism laws, which prohibit overt religious symbols in schools.