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Headscarf Regimes in Europe: Diversity Policies at the Intersection of Gender, Culture and Religion

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Comparative European Politics Aims and scope

Abstract

The headscarf issue became an arena of heated controversies over the politics of integration and religious and cultural differences since the mid-1980s. Most interestingly, these struggles are deeply connected to gender differences. Although all European countries are consolidated, liberal democracies, different institutional settings have translated into different approaches of headscarf policies. The main aim of this paper is first to explain differences and similarities in regulating the headscarf issue by analyzing three paradigmatic countries: Germany, the Netherlands and Austria. By selecting these countries, the paper aims, secondly, to contribute to a refined methodology explaining the different types of headscarf regulation. The third aim is to detect the gendered narrative of the policy debates. The comparison shows that an ethno-cultural citizenship regime does not always lead to a prohibitive regulation (Austria) and cooperative state–church relations do not always result in the accommodation of the headscarf (Germany). To explain headscarf regulations, it is important to take gender equality and antidiscrimination policies and women's movements into account, especially the cooperation of majority and minority women's movement actors. Finally, the analysis shows that gendering the issue is used as a strategy to construct a different ‘other.’

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Notes

  1. A hijab is a scarf, which covers hair and shoulders. A niqab is a veil, which covers the whole face, while burqa, jilbab and chador not only cover head and the face but the whole body. These differences in body covering reflect differences and conflicts within Islam. In the following the use of the term headscarf refers to the hijab.

  2. The paper draws on the research findings of the VEIL project, funded by the European Commission in the 6th framework (www.veil-project.eu). The VEIL project examines the framing and regulation of headscarves across eight European countries: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Turkey and the European Union.

  3. It is estimated that 50 women are wearing burqa in the Netherlands (Jurist, Legal News and Research, 26 January 2008).

  4. We thank Florian Hahn, who conducted interviews with politicians who are responsible for integration of the Vienna parties ÖVP, SPÖ and Green Party.

  5. Interview with Werner Amon, then speaker for education of the ÖVP, 2005.

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  1. Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Wien, Universitätsstraße 7, Vienna, A-1010, Austria

    Birgit Sauer

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Sauer, B. Headscarf Regimes in Europe: Diversity Policies at the Intersection of Gender, Culture and Religion. Comp Eur Polit 7, 75–94 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/cep.2008.41

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