French lawmakers vote in favour of bill to ban hair discrimination
France's National Assembly on Thursday approved legislation against a form of discrimination that's often overlooked: prejudicial treatment on the basis of hair. The bill, which still faces a vote in the Senate, is inspired by laws in the United States, where anti-racism campaigners have long argued that black people face unfair pressure to modify their natural hair.
"They called me into the office and said, 'we know you care about your hair ...' And I said, 'oh and you don't?'"
Fanta, a former police officer, is black. She says she's experienced what's been dubbed in France discrimination capillaire – hair discrimination.
"They asked me to straighten it because it wasn't professional. My hair, even if I straighten it, the minute I take a shower it'll go curly again. So they were telling me: 'we don't accept you as you are'."
The message doesn't have to be said out loud to get through, says Louis, a student in his early 20s.
"There have been certain times when I've had interviews for internships and I've realised that my hair was a problem for them, and that people prefer a, how shall I put it, straighter style – no braids, short back and sides."
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Such pressure is arguably already illegal in France, where the law bans discrimination on the basis of physical appearance as well as ethnicity.
"Yes, we have a law in France against discrimination, but it's a global law and it doesn't talk about hair discrimination," says Guylaine Conquet.
RFI's Sylvie Koffi provided additional reporting for this story.
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