Workplace discrimination towards Muslim women rising New Zealand

Muslim women are increasingly becoming targets of workplace discrimination in New Zealand, according to Islam Women’s Council of New Zealand co-founder Anjum Rahman.

Muslim women are increasingly becoming targets of workplace discrimination in New Zealand, according to Islam Women’s Council of New Zealand co-founder Anjum Rahman.

Speaking on MagicTalk on Wednesday morning, the Hamilton-based political and human rights activist said the number of cases had particularly increased “in the last six to eight weeks” alone.

Rahman, who is a semi-finalist for Kiwibank’s New Zealander of the Year, said Muslim women who wear headscarves are particularly targeted.

“Muslim women who wear headscarves, because we’re a lot more visible, people tend to target us because they think we’re vulnerable and can’t fight back… it is feeling a bit hostile at the moment.

“There seems to be this undercurrent or rhetoric of hate… it isn’t just our community, we see it a lot in online hate [towards] the transgender community. I wouldn’t say it’s specifically just us, but we’re feeling it.”

Rahman “expected” the wave of harmony that followed the terror of the Christchurch mosque shootings wouldn’t last for long.