In a step towards more inclusive legislation, the French National Assembly recently passed a bill banning discrimination relating to the texture, length, color, or style of a person’s hair. The bill is now slated for further review and approval in the Senate.
Existing anti-discrimination laws in the labor code, penal code and general civil service code are set to be updated by this proposed bill. The current legislation prohibits discrimination on various grounds including political association, philosophical or religious opinions, origin, sexual orientation or gender identity, age, surname, family or pregnancy status, state of health, physical appearance, disability, and membership or non-membership to an ethnic group or race. The proposed legislation aims to include discrimination related to hair cut, color, length, and texture.
The bill was passed by the National Assembly with an absolute majority of 44 votes out of the 50 lawmakers present. Two lawmakers voted against the adoption while four abstained.
A recent case partially inspired this bill. It involved a Black, male flight attendant who was fired by Air France for refusing to comply with a company policy. The company’s internal code stated that “hairstyles must maintain a natural and homogeneous appearance” and be “limited in volume.” The flight attendant was fired for wearing braids, and the court ruled that the dismissal constituted discrimination, but that it was based on gender, not race.
Similar hair discrimination acts exist in the US and the UK. In the US, the “Crown Act” was initially introduced in California and has been adopted in 23 other states. However, the Act has not received enough support at the federal level to override a filibuster from Senate Republicans. In the UK, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) provided guidance instructing British schools to avoid hair-based discrimination when shaping their policies.
Research points to a pervasive issue of hair discrimination in the workplace, disproportionately affecting women and certain ethnic groups. A study by Dove and LinkedIn in 2023 showed that approximately two-thirds of Black women in the US would change their hairstyle for a job interview. A further survey in the UK revealed that one-third of blonde women would dye their hair brown to appear more intelligent in a professional setting.
The reception of the proposed legislation in the Senate remains uncertain due to its conservative majority.
All the details on this legislative change can be found on Jurist – News.