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Europe's Muslim Women: under cover and under pressure?

British Council debate organised in partnership with the European Policy Centre and the European Muslim Network.

Tuesday, 16th March 2010, 10-12 hrs, Brussels, Hotel Stanhope

The integration of European Muslims is the subject of intense debate across the European Union and within Europe's Muslim community. Discussions get especially intense - and often acrimonious - when it comes to the integration of Europe's Muslim women, with many policymakers and politicians denouncing the decision by some women to wear the head scarf or burqa and the prevailing perception of Muslim women as victims of a repressive religion.

Europe's Muslim women are undoubtedly pulled in many directions: by traditions which often dictate conservative dress codes and conduct, strong familial and cultural obligations, but also pressure from the larger community to be seen as visibly liberated, modern and empowered.

The debate – and the stereotypes – ignore, however, the more complex economic, social and cultural challenges facing millions of European Muslim women as they struggle to become active citizens of the countries they live in. Could it be that, despite the clichés and the hype, Muslim women often share the same aspirations and face the same struggle for better education, jobs and social recognition as their non-Muslim counterparts?

To address these relevant issues as part of the Our Shared Europe project, we will hear from a panel of guest speakers. The debate will be chaired by Shada Islam, Senior Programme Executive at the European Policy Centre (EPC).

Speakers
  • Parvin Ali, Chair of European Muslim Women of Influence (EMWI) and CEO and founder of the FATIMA Women’s Network
  • Malika Hamidi, Director General, European Muslim Network
  • Sajjad Karim, Member of the European Parliament
  • Wassyla Tamzali, Author and Former Director Women’s Rights at UNESCO
  • Lorella Zanardo, Producer and Director of ‘Il Corpe delle donne’

For further information please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .


British Council European Policy Centre European Muslim Network



Watch a 3 minutes video from our Brussels debate Europe and Islam: Whose Identity Crisis? in November 2009, or a 24 minutes version (580 Mb).