Hair discrimination: bald people, rastas… Who is really affected by the new law ?

The National Assembly voted a bill which aims à "sanction hair discrimination", this Thursday, March 30. The text aims à prohibit employers from requiring their employees to hide their afro cuts, their braids or even their dreadlocks.

The proposed law on hair discrimination, led by MP Olivier Serva (Liot), was é voted on at first reading the National Assembly, this Thursday, March 28. The objective is in particular to prevent employers from forcing their employees to do so. oacute;s &agrav; hide their afro by straightening their hair. The law already takes into account 25 reasons for discrimination at work. If the text is adopted, the discrimination corresponding to "the cut, color, length or texture of hair", would be added to the the list of those liable to criminal sanctions. 

According to Olivier Serva, this proposed law would benefit "black women who feel obliged to straighten their hair", before a professional meeting such as a job interview ;#39;hiring, but also to "redheaded people, victims of numerous negative prejudices", or even "bald men".   According to a survey carried out by Dove in the United States, two out of three black women say they have to change their haircut for a job interview. Blonde women are also affected: one in three says they are disappointed; change your hair color to appear more professional, just like redheads, according to another study carried out in Britain in 2009 by Halo Collective.&nbsp ;

Statistics on ethnicity banned in France

In France, statistics based on ethnicity are prohibited, the phenomenon cannot therefore be quantified. . But hair discrimination has already taken root. été mediatised. In 2019, the afro cut of Sibeth Ndiaye, former government spokesperson, had been popularized. heavily criticized, just like Eve Gilles, Miss France 2024, or even Audrey Pulvar, assistant to the Mayor of Paris. If the text is adopted, hair discrimination could be punished with 3 years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros.