Social Sustainability in France

On September 2010 the Senate of France passed a law that banned any type of face covering to be worn in public. This includes headgear, helmets, balaclavas and different kinds of veils. The reasons behind the passing of the law, according to the president at the time, Nicolas Sarkozy, were 1) to protect France's secular values and 2) to protect women from a symbol of oppression. The law was challenged on 2014, but the European Court of Human Rights upheld it, accepting the argument that the government made. France is not the only country that has banned face coverings, but it's certainly the one that has received the most criticism.

In this case, instead of creating a new policy, I would repeal the current law. Whether the veil is a symbol of the subjugation of women or not is still a controversial debate, and I wouldn't take a side publicly, but I would advocate for individual religious freedom. France's laicism and allowing people to wear veils for religious reasons shouldn't be considered mutually exclusive.

Comments

Mr. Roddy said…
Well-written! How might you avoid the nationalistic responses that this may spark, or how would you address them if they cannot be avoided?
September 26, 2018 at 1:46 PM
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