A bid by the French Senate to ban girls under 18 from wearing the hijab in public drew major condemnation, with the hashtag #HandsOffMyHijab circulating widely on social media. The French Senate’s move comes as part of Paris’s push to introduce a so-called “anti-separatism” bill which it says aims to bolster the country’s secular system, but critics have denounced, arguing it singles out the minority Muslim population.

The French Senate voted 160 to 143 in favor of the ban on wearing the hijab and other "conspicuous religious symbols" in sports competitions. The amendment was proposed by the right-wing Les Républicains, which argued the hijab could risk the safety of athletes wearing it while playing sports. Similarly, some members proposed banning Women from covering their body while swimming.

France's highest court upheld a ban on barristers wearing the hijab and other religious symbols in courtrooms in the north, a ruling that is the first of its kind and sets a precedent for the rest of the country. The court's decision stirred a nationwide debate over so-called core Republican values of secularism and identity.

While the secular law in place bans hijabs in schools and for civil servants only, the senate decided to ban religious signs for parents who take part in extracurricular activities, which basically means the exclusion of Muslim hijab-wearing mothers from general school life. The senate is amplifying the pressure on Muslim women who constantly face exclusion.