Sumeyye Erdogan Bayraktar, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of KADEM (Women and Democracy Association), has sounded the alarm over rising anti-Islam and discriminatory practices targeting religious women around the world, particularly in Western countries.
Citing recent developments such as France’s controversial ban on headscarves in sports, Bayraktar condemned what she called “absurd policies” that treat religious identity as a privilege granted only after adulthood.
Delivering her keynote address during a panel at Ibn Haldun University, Bayraktar pointed to a troubling trend: women who wear headscarves often feel forced to give up their rights to education, employment, or participation in sports in order to adhere to their beliefs.
“These policies push women out of public life, creating glass ceilings that stem directly from a denial of religious freedoms,” she noted.
Citing European studies, Bayraktar highlighted that job applicants with headscarves are 65 percent less likely to be called for interviews.
“Women who wear the headscarf face up to 40 percent more workplace discrimination,” she said. “This not only impacts individual careers, but also erodes broader efforts toward gender equality and social justice.”
KADEM’s commitment to pluralism and rights
Bayraktar reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to opposing narrow and top-down definitions of women’s roles.
“We reject the imposition of a uniform woman model rooted in modernisation narratives,” she said.
“We will continue advocating for women's freedom of belief, guided by local values, cultural context, and a broader human rights perspective.”
She emphasised the importance of enabling women to live and work in accordance with their faith: “When this right is denied, society suffers as a whole. Any world that systematically erases women from social life cannot call itself just, inclusive, or democratic.”
France’s sports ban: A symptom of deeper issues
Bayraktar harshly criticised France’s justification for its ban on hijabs in sports—namely, that “religious affiliation divides people.”
She argued that such logic could be extended to ban any expression of identity, including language, ethnicity, or even physical characteristics. “This is not about secularism,” she said. “This is about using secularism as a tool to stigmatise Islam.”
“This is a war on identity”
Framing the issue as more than discrimination, Bayraktar described it as a “multidimensional identity war” where religious women, especially Muslims who wear headscarves, are primary targets.
“A single photo on a job application can erase everything a woman has worked for—her skills, education, and contributions. That is profound injustice,” she said.
A call to action for universal rights
“This isn’t just about religious identity,” Bayraktar concluded. “It’s about the right to exist, the right to live, the right to work, and the right to freedom of thought and conscience.”
Calling for a collective response, she pledged: “We will not let go of our rights. We will fight for a world that is enriched by difference, elevated by tolerance, and committed to equality and justice.”
