France is moving towards banning hair discrimination in the workplace!
Their parliament’s lower house recently approved a bill that would make it illegal to treat someone unfairly at work because of their hairstyle, hair color, length, or even texture. This is a big win for people who have faced discrimination based on their hair, particularly Black women who are often expected to straighten their hair to conform to workplace beauty standards.
The law’s sponsor, Olivier Serva, who is Black himself, highlighted how women “of African descent” are sometimes pressured to change their hairstyles before job interviews. Dreadlocks on men could also be a target for such discrimination, which this law aims to combat.
While this is a positive step, the bill still needs to pass the upper house of parliament, the Senate, where it might face tougher opposition. However, the initial approval with a resounding 44-2 vote in the lower house shows a growing recognition of the issue of hair discrimination. This law could set an important precedent for fairer treatment in workplaces across France.