Lawmakers in France are considering a measure that would outlaw discrimination based on hair type

Paris: A measure that would outlaw discrimination based on a person’s hair type, length, colour, or style is being discussed by French parliamentarians on Thursday. The innovative law’s architects believe that it will provide a message of support to black people and other people who have experienced discrimination at work and in other settings due to their hair.
“It’s about time,” cried 43-year-old consultant Estelle Vallois as she had her short, coiled hair trimmed at a Paris salon where the stylists are specially trained to manage different hair types, which is not always the case in France.

“Today, we’re going even further towards taking down these barriers of discrimination.”
The proposed law is reminiscent of over 20 US states’ comparable laws. The initiative was put forward by French MP Olivier Serva, who represents the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. If approved, Serva claims that France will be the first nation in history to officially acknowledge hair-based discrimination.
The bill would change the current anti-discrimination laws in the criminal code and labour code to specifically prohibit discrimination against bald individuals and those with curly or coiled hair or other hairstyles deemed unprofessional.
Although it was the main driving force behind the bill’s creation, it does not expressly address discrimination based on race.
Black Serva said to The Associated Press, “People who don’t fit in with Euro-centric standards are facing discrimination, stereotypes, and bias.”
The initiative is backed by left-wing parties and members of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, Renaissance, which gives it a possibility of passing the lower chamber of parliament on Thursday. However, parliamentarians on the far-right and conservative sides of the political spectrum have opposed it, seeing it as an attempt to introduce American ideas of race and prejudice in France.
A variant of the CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, has been enacted in 24 states in the US, outlawing hair discrimination based on race in the workplace, housing market, educational system, and military. In 2022, federal legislation was enacted by the House, but a month later, Senate Republicans rejected it.
The French bill’s opponents contend that those who experience prejudice because of their natural Afro hair, braids, cornrows, or locs are already adequately protected by the country’s legal system.
The bill’s authors disagree. They use the black French steward who was forced to wear a straight-haired wig after being refused entry to an aircraft due to his braids as an example, and he went on to sue Air France.
A decade-long legal struggle paid off in 2022 when Aboubakar Traore prevailed in his case. However, the court decided that because his female colleagues were permitted to wear braids, he was not discriminated against because of his hair but rather because he is a man.
Since France adheres to a universalist ideology that does not distinguish people based on ethnic groupings, government data about race is not collected, making it difficult to quantify discrimination based on race in hairstyles.
Supporters of the measure think it would help black French people, who have long struggled to accept their natural hair, which is sometimes criticised for being coarse and unmanageable.
Mother of three mixed-race children and hairstylist Aude Livoreil-Djampou noted that while some see the proposed legislation as trivial, it really addresses a deeper issue.
It goes beyond just hair problems. People will have the confidence to respond, “No, this is not legal; you cannot expect that from me; it has nothing to do with my professional competence,” when requested to straighten their hair.
All types of customers, from those with straight hair to those with tight curls, are taken care of at Djampou-Livoreil’s salon. “Seeing a 40-year-old lady, who sometimes holds extremely high positions, finally embrace her inherent beauty is very touching. And that occurs daily,” the woman said.
Salon patron Vallois hopes that her daughter, who is five years old, will grow up in a world where hair is not socially stigmatised.
“In the past, I used to bemoan the scarcity of hair salons and frizzy hair treatments. We were forced to use products meant for European hair, which was not suitable for our hair type. “I’m happy that things are more accessible and that things have changed today,” she said.
“There’s no reason to be ashamed of who you are, whether it’s your hair or even the fact that you don’t have any!”