Austria Bans Headscarves in Schools for Girls Under 14
Austria’s parliament has passed a new law barring girls under 14 from wearing what it calls “traditional Muslim” head coverings in both public and private schools. The ruling coalition — the ÖVP, SPÖ, and Neos — defended the move as a push for gender equality and an effort to, in their words, protect girls “from oppression.”
Yannick Shetty of the Neos insisted the measure is “not a measure against a religion. It is a measure to protect the freedom of girls in this country.” He told lawmakers the rule would likely affect around 12,000 students. Shetty also argued in parliament that the headscarf for minors “serves, particularly with minors, to shield girls from the male gaze. It sexualizes girls.”
The law sets up a stepped response for students who break the rule: conversations with the school, then involvement of child and youth services, and finally fines of up to €800 for families if violations continue. An awareness phase is planned for early 2026, with full enforcement starting next September.
Opposition parties and rights groups say the new ban unfairly targets Muslim students and risks deepening social divides. The Greens rejected it outright, calling it “clearly unconstitutional.” Sigrid Maurer, the party’s deputy parliamentary leader, argued that the state should instead bring in teams — including Muslim community representatives — to help schools navigate cultural conflict.
Austria’s official Islamic community, the IGGÖ, said the policy violates fundamental rights, warning that “instead of empowering children, they will be stigmatised and marginalised.” The group noted that the Constitutional Court already struck down a similar ban in 2020 for discriminating against a religious minority, and said it will review “the constitutionality of the law and take all necessary steps.” Amnesty International echoed those concerns, saying the measure would “add to the current racist climate towards Muslims.”
The far-right FPÖ supported the bill but argued it didn’t go far enough. FPÖ family spokesperson Ricarda Berger said it was only “a first step” and renewed the party’s call for a sweeping rule that covers all pupils and school staff, saying “political Islam has no place here.”
Members of the government acknowledge the risk that the court may again strike the legislation down. “Will it pass muster with the Constitutional Court? I don’t know. We have done our best,” Shetty said. Officials said they commissioned a study meant to justify the law, though details have not been made public.
Supporters frame the ban as a defense of girls facing pressure from family members and even peers who tell them what to wear “for religious reasons,” as Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr put it. Critics counter that the law singles out Muslim students while doing little to address the broader social issues it claims to solve.
