On Thursday, December 11, 2025, Austria’s parliament approved a law banning headscarves for schoolgirls under 14, sparking protests and debate nationwide.
This isn’t the first attempt: in 2019, Austria introduced a primary school headscarf ban, only to have the constitutional court strike it down. The new measure, proposed earlier this year amid rising anti-immigration sentiment, extends the restriction to girls up to age 14. From February, parents face fines up to $1,150 if their daughters wear the hijab to class.
Rights groups and education experts warn the ban could marginalize Muslim communities and deepen societal divisions. "This law treats religious expression as a problem instead of protecting fundamental freedoms," says Amal Al-Hashimi, a policy analyst at the European Centre for Rights.
The government argues the ban is designed to protect girls "from oppression." Austrian Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm said, "When little girls are covered up and hindered in their development by patriarchal constraints and false notions of honor, we cannot and must not look away."
Muslim families see it differently. Esma Kedikli, whose 12-year-old daughter Ruveyda wears a headscarf by choice, calls the law "a violation of religious freedom." "I speak not only for my daughter but for all girls who choose the hijab and are now denied that right," she tells journalists.
"Some might assume we’re forced to wear it, but we’re not," adds 14-year-old Hadije. "I want to be as beautiful as my mother and wear the headscarf too."
Students Take a Stand
Across Austria, thousands of schoolgirls held peaceful demonstrations, donning their headscarves and holding placards that read “My Choice, My Voice” and “Hands Off Our Freedom.” In Vienna, crowds gathered outside the parliament building, chanting slogans about identity and respect.
Experts warn that targeting visible religious symbols can backfire. "Banning the hijab won’t solve concerns about integration; it may instead push communities further to the margins," says Maria Baumgartner, sociologist at the University of Graz.
As Austria heads into an election year, the debate over the hijab ban speaks to broader questions about diversity, secularism and youth activism in Europe. For a globally connected generation, this struggle is not just about a piece of cloth—it’s about the freedom to define their own identities.
Reference(s):
How Austria's potential hijab ban inspired a protest by schoolgirls
cgtn.com
