Muslim women professionals want school girls allowed to wear hijab

The Western Kenya Muslim Women Professionals have called upon schools in the region to allow Muslim female learners to wear hijabs in schools.

They said for Muslim girls hijab is a way of protection in life and a way of worship to Allah.

While speaking at Bo-Yusuf Primary school in Vihiga County on Wednesday during celebrations to mark world Hijab day, the Muslim Women urged the ministry of education to enforce a circular that they released in March last year allowing Muslim female students/ learners to wear Hijab in schools.

They were led by Hadija Nganyi who is also a Commissioner on revenue allocation and Dr. Fozia Norwin who is the chairperson of the County Education Board and a lecturer at Kaimosi Friends University.

"We have had very many complaints from our schools that our Muslim girls are not allowed to wear Hijab in some schools yet the ministry of education has already released a circular allowing our girls to wear Hijab but some schools are still adamant something, that is making some of these girls to drop out of school because they cannot go out without Hijab," Nganyi said

Fozia Norwin said that all County directors of education should ensure that students who are supposed to wear Hijab are doing so without any restriction because it is their right.

"In March last year, a circular was released by the Ministry of education saying there was freedom of religion and that Hijab was allowed in all schools and therefore any parents whose girls are being denied the right to wear Hijab in school should bring it up with the ministry of education," Norwin stated

The Muslim women professionals also called on the government under President William Ruto to allow Hijab to be worn within the discipline forces in order to give an opportunity to Muslim girls who anticipate joining the forces to do so freely without any restriction.

"We have had the cry of hijab even within the police service and the defence forces that hijab is not allowed. 

"We are asking the government to look into the matter so that our Muslim girls do not miss out on being absorbed in the discipline and defence forces for fear of not being allowed to wear the Hijab," Said Nganyi.

In attendance were Halima Abdi chairperson of Western Muslim Women Professionals, Rukia Yusuf SUPKEM national women leader, Halima Gula a banker, Miriam Hassan Kakamega county women leader, and Mwanaisha Abdi Muslim women youth leader among others.