France’s lower house of parliament has backed a bill banning discrimination based on hairstyle, colour or texture, in a “historic” move supporters say will help penalise workplace discrimination.
Olivier Serva, an independent deputy for the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe who sponsored the bill, has argued that there is a lot of suffering based on hair discrimination, and that women of African descent in France were often encouraged to change their hairstyle before job interviews.
“What a thrill!” the lawmaker told the Guardian on Thursday afternoon. “Today is a historic day. France is the first country in the world to adopt a nationwide legislative arsenal aimed specifically at combating hair discrimination in the workplace and in the public arena.”
The bill was approved by 44 legislators against two, although most lawmakers in the National Assembly did not vote. To become a law it must also be approved in the senate, where it could face opposition.
The measure’s backers say it is a milestone.
“It’s about time,” Estelle Vallois, a consultant getting her short, coiled hair cut in a Paris salon, told the Associated Press. “Today, we’re going even further toward taking down these barriers of discrimination.”
Aude Livoreil-Djampou, a hairdresser, told AP that it was not only a hair issue. “It will give strength to people to be able to answer, when asked to straighten their hair, they can say: ‘No, this is not legal, you cannot expect that from me, it has nothing to do with my professional competence.’”
A black Air France aircrew member in 2022 won a 10-year legal battle for the right to work with braided hair on flights after a decision by France’s highest appeal court.
High-profile people in France, including a former government spokesperson, have faced online harassment because of their hairstyle.
In the US, at least 23 states have passed legislation aimed at protecting people from hair discrimination. And in the UK, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued guidelines against hair discrimination in schools.
The French bill has not been without controversy, with critics arguing that it was unnecessary given that discrimination based on looks was already illegal.
Fabien Di Filippo, of the conservative Les Républicains, said the draft bill was redundant, arguing that it aimed to import a US mindset to French legislation. “Should we tomorrow expect a bill on discrimination against bald people, which I think are underrepresented in shampoo ads?” he asked.
Eric Rocheblave, a lawyer specialising in labour law, said any future law would be “symbolic” and of little practical help when it came to proving discrimination in court. “There is no legal void here,” he told AFP.
Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.