France’s decision to forbid its female athletes from wearing headscarves at the Olympics has drawn harsh criticism from Amnesty International and significant backlash from activists.
In September 2023, France declared that its athletes would not be permitted to wear the hijab during the Olympic Games. Amnesty International responded to the decision, labeling it “discriminatory hypocrisy.” The organization argued that the prohibition violates the human right of athletes to participate in sports without facing discrimination, contravening international human rights legislation.
Ten other organizations, including Amnesty International, urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to intervene. However, the IOC stated that “freedom of religion is interpreted in many different ways by different states,” asserting it was outside its purview to reverse the policy. The IOC clarified, “There are no restrictions on wearing the hijab or any other religious or cultural attire,” indicating that its regulations apply within the Olympic Village, allowing athletes to wear headscarves there.
Anna Błuś, Amnesty International’s International Women’s Rights Researcher in Europe, remarked that the ban on French athletes wearing sports hijabs during the Olympic and Paralympic Games “lays bare the racist gender discrimination that underpins access to sport in France and makes a mockery of claims that Paris 2024 is the first Gender Equal Olympics.”
France is unique in Europe for forbidding women who wear headscarves from competing in most domestic sporting events. Rights groups argue that this strategy not only violates IOC principles but also breaches France’s commitments under international treaties.
A spokeswoman for the UN Rights Office in Geneva stated, “No one should impose on a woman what she needs to wear or not to wear,” although the UN did not explicitly address the restriction. She emphasized that such regulations are only appropriate in very specific situations and that such actions may have negative effects.
Conclusion
The hijab ban has sparked widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and activists, who view it as a violation of athletes’ rights and an affront to the principles of inclusivity and equality that the Olympics claim to uphold. As the world prepares for the Paris 2024 Games, the focus will remain on how France reconciles its secular values with the rights of all athletes to compete freely.