Hawzah News Agency- Since its beginnings in 2013, the day has grown into an important opportunity for awareness, learning, and solidarity across communities, inviting people of all backgrounds to engage with the realities faced by Muslim women in public life.
We’re shedding light on how the day can help raise awareness on Islamophobia, as well as how we can work together to help combat these issues.
Muslim women who wear the hijab are often the most visible expression of Islam in public life. In the context of intensifying Islamophobia, that visibility can translate into heightened scrutiny, harassment, and violence – realities our staff at Islamic Relief are all too familiar with.
World Hijab Day is an opportunity to centre the lived experiences of Muslim women, acknowledge the struggles they have endured, and challenge the normalisation of anti-Muslim bigotry.
This discrimination is not confined to isolated incidents but is woven into daily life, in workplaces, education settings, and public spaces. World Hijab Day offers space to listen to Muslim women themselves and to recognise the emotional, physical, and social toll that sustained discrimination can take.
#UnityInHijab, this year’s campaign focus, is a call for women of all backgrounds to stand with Muslim women against discrimination.
It recognises that Islamophobia does not exist in isolation, but intersects with sexism, racism, and other forms of inequality. As a result, Muslim women often face overlapping barriers and bear a disproportionate burden of discrimination in public life. Solidarity means listening to Muslim women, amplifying their voices, and affirming the hijab as a symbol of identity, dignity, and ultimately a personal choice – not something to be demonised, policed, or turned into political football.
Celebrating the hijab must go hand in hand with confronting the structures that enable discrimination. Meaningful support for Muslim women requires action and accountability, including stronger protections and a clear recognition of Islamophobia. We are calling on the UK government to adopt a definition of Islamophobia so that harm is properly recognised, addressed, and prevented – and so that Muslim communities can live in safety and dignity.
World Hijab Day 2026 is a reminder that standing against Islamophobia is a shared responsibility. By centring Muslim women’s lived experiences, standing together in solidarity, and pushing for meaningful change, we can help create a society where Muslim women are free to live with dignity, safety, and respect — not despite their faith, but alongside it.
Source: Islamic Relief
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