25 AUGUST 2016

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During August, French towns have been implementing a ‘burkini ban’ on beaches. This week, photographs emerged which suggest police enforced the law by asking a woman to take off her burkini. You can read more about this story here.

Responding to the burkini ban Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, said:

“The burkini ban is state-sponsored coercion and control of women and we condemn it. What women wear is no business of the state or the police and it is clear that this policy is about targeting Muslim women and Muslim women only.”

“But we also need to see this as part of a wider problem. Our society wants to control and own women’s bodies, whether it be images in the media, dress codes at work or the decisions women make when they are pregnant. We blame women when they are attacked because they wore the ‘wrong’ thing. And Muslim women are being targeted as posing a threat simply because of what they wear.”

“There is no security angle to the ban and it will not protect people from terrorist attacks.”

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The Fawcett Society campaigns for women to have the right to wear whatever they deem appropriate for the situation.  You can read more on our ongoing campaign here: #FawcettFlatsFriday