France: Sport authorities Ban French Athletes wearing headscarves from partake in Olympic and Para-Olympic games

In France, sports authorities have banned French athletes from wearing headscarves during the Paris 2024 Olympics and in all future sporting events. This exclusion of women and girls who wear the hijab is troubling, particularly as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) promotes Paris 2024 as the first "gender parity Olympics." The decision underscores a contradiction: while the Games are celebrated for gender equality, they simultaneously enforce rules that discriminate based on religious attire.

These bans effectively prevent French Muslim female athletes from competing in the Olympics, as they are excluded from the necessary training and competitions to qualify. In contrast, Muslim athletes from other countries will participate in the Games wearing sports headgear without restriction. This disparity creates an unequal situation where French Muslim women are denied opportunities available to their international counterparts.

Source: Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International