Education for all?
KARAMAH and Women in Islam have presented two workshops on Monday, March 10, during the United Nations 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. One of these panels presented a case study on the Belgium situation, sharing information on the current "headscarf ban" in Flemish public schools and it's impact on the community and the world.
This past year, KARAMAH and KARAMAH-EU filed a landmark lawsuit against Belgium's Flemish public school system. The system banned girls from wearing the head scarf while attending school. What are the consequences? Female Belgian students are either losing access to primary education or are forced to compromise their religious beliefs to advance their education and careers. This denial of cultural/religious freedom and full access to education -- both fundamental rights -- is especially destructive to the large female professional and working class population, making Millennium Development Goals realization exponentially more difficult. The denial of basic civil rights and xenophobia continues to leave women and girls marginalized. This has left many with few opportunities for progress.