The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has granted full permission for participants in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games to wear hijabs, a symbol of religious and cultural significance while residing in the athletes’ village. This decision comes shortly after France’s sports minister initially banned the hijab for the country’s own athletes.
Despite the IOC’s recent ruling, it’s important to note that French athletes remain bound by the regulations set forth by their respective sports federations, preventing them from donning hijabs during actual competitions.
An IOC spokesperson stated, “For the Olympic Village, the IOC rules apply. There are no restrictions on wearing the hijab or any other religious or cultural attire.”
The Olympic Village serves as the temporary abode for a vast majority of the approximately 10,000 athletes who participate in the Olympic Games. Here, they share communal spaces, including dining halls and recreational facilities, fostering a sense of unity and diversity.
It’s essential to understand that the sporting events within the Olympics are meticulously organised and supervised by the respective international sports federations, each with its own unique set of guidelines.
Over the weekend, French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera made a significant announcement, proclaiming that French athletes would be prohibited from wearing hijabs during the Paris Games to uphold the principles of secularism. She emphasised the government’s stance against the exhibition of religious symbols during sporting events, aiming to maintain “complete impartiality within public services.”
France’s commitment to strict secularism is underscored by a series of laws aimed at regulating religious expression within its borders. Notably, in August, the country took measures to ban the abaya in schools, resulting in the exclusion of numerous girls who chose to wear it to school.
The United Nations human rights office weighed in on the matter, openly criticising France’s decision to bar its athletes from wearing hijabs. UN rights office spokesperson Marta Hurtado, in a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, underscored the importance of respecting an individual’s choice in matters of dress, stating unequivocally, “No one should dictate what a woman should or should not wear.”