The Women and Equalities Committee on 13 February launched an inquiry which would look into issues surrounding gendered Islamophobia, in a bid to understand the issues facing Muslim women who are living in the UK.
The inquiry will consider the obstacles women and girls experience when reporting cases of Islamophobia and the ways in which gendered Islamophobia can be tackled.
Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) Chair Sarah Owen MP said: “It’s concerning but sadly unsurprising to hear about women and girls’ experiences of Islamophobia and through this new inquiry, the Committee will explore why they are more likely to be victims of Islamophobia, and what impact this has on them, their communities and wider society.”
“WEC’s new work will examine in what ways gendered Islamophobia has an intersectional dimension and ask why some women are more likely than others to be subject to this abuse and prejudice. The inquiry will also explore if there is evidence of Muslim women being harassed from within their communities, for example, for not conforming to expected community norms or due to generational differences.”
The inquiry is seeking written submissions addressing a series of questions concerning how Islamophobia impacts women, what can be done to prevent it and whether Muslim women are facing harassment from their communities.
Owen added that the inquiry will probe if there are any measures, including those that are legislative, that the government should implement to tackle the issue of Islamophobia. Owen also said that the inquiry will consider what actions trade unions, community groups, workplaces, schools, worship places and sports clubs can carry out to deal with Islamophobia and to help female Muslims.
The launch of the inquiry follows the evidence session of 15 January, in which MP’s on the cross-party committee heard how Islamaphobia of a gendered nature affects the lives of women and girls, in relation to work, sport and academics.
During the evidence session, Shaista Gohir stressed that many Muslim women are not reporting instances of Islamophobia. Gohir said that she published a report in September called “Anti-Muslim Hate, Concerns and Experiences” which revealed that 80% of Muslim women do not report. She also suggested that Muslim women could prompt a higher level of public attention than their male counterparts.
Gohir said: “Muslim women are very visible, particularly if they wear the headscarf or face veil, or they may not wear a headscarf but still wear traditional dress, and so they are more easily targeted.”
Answers to the inquiry questions can be submitted through this website by 21 March.
