“Not with That on Your Head!” Hijabi Students in the Spanish Education System

This communication presents the findings of a research project carried out during 2023-2024 by research group GRAIS, Complutense University of Madrid. Financed by the Institute for Women (Spanish Ministry of Equality), the study aimed to examine the challenges faced by Muslim students wearing the hijab in Spain’s public education system (schools and universities).

The research is among others based on 26 in-depth interviews with women aged 16 to 45, conducted across different regions of Spain. The analysis reveals that female students who openly display their Islamic identity (the majority being of Moroccan descent) frequently experience negative interpellations from both the teaching staff and their peers. These practices include hijab bans, derogatory comments about their religion, harassment, questioning of their intellectual capabilities, and being steered toward lower academic expectations.

The study explores the impact these interactions have on the educational and professional trajectories of these students, the strategies they employ to cope with or resist these pressures, and the role of their surrounding environment (family, friends, academic community, associations, etc.) in shaping these strategies.