Les Hijabeuses is a collective of young footballers who have been mobilising for nearly a year to encourage the French Football Federation to follow Fifa's example and no longer ban the wearing of the Hijab during official matches.
Debates around what Muslim women can or cannot wear have resurfaced lately in France with the controversial “anti-separatism” bill, enacted into French law on August 24.
French MPs tried to use the bill to formally ban the wearing of headscarves in all sport competitions, though this was deemed unconstitutional by lawmakers on June 9.
More than a year later, Les Hijabeuses has around 150 members and nearly 5,000 followers on Instagram. They staged a protest at the FFF headquarters on July 23 and have written several letters to FFF President Noël Le Graët, demanding an end to the exclusion of Muslim women – but are yet to receive a reply.
