Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
On behalf of EMISCO, I would like to draw attention to an increasingly important human rights concern: the particular vulnerability of women when freedom of religion or belief is restricted, challenged or attacked.
Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief is not a privilege. It is a fundamental human right. It protects not only what we believe, but also our right to live and peacefully express that belief, individually or together with others.
For millions of women, faith is an integral part of their identity and daily life. The way a woman dresses, worships or expresses her religious convictions may be part of that identity. As long as these practices respect the rights and freedoms of others, they should not be regarded as a threat to society. Respecting peaceful religious diversity is itself an essential part of a pluralistic and democratic society.
Unfortunately, Muslim women are often among the first and most visible targets of prejudice and hostility. Across Europe, women wearing the headscarf continue to experience discrimination, exclusion, verbal harassment and sometimes physical violence. When a woman is targeted simply because she is visibly Muslim, we are not dealing only with discrimination or anti-Muslim hatred. We are also confronting a challenge to her fundamental freedom of religion or belief.
We must also look beyond Europe. The situation of Uyghur women and families reminds us of the importance of protecting religious and cultural identity and family life. In Gaza, women and children continue to carry an enormous humanitarian and psychological burden through loss, displacement and destruction.
And history must remain our teacher. Srebrenica demonstrated how hatred directed against a religious and ethnic community can leave women carrying its consequences for generations. Many women lost husbands, sons and relatives, while assuming the responsibility of rebuilding their families and preserving the memory of those they lost.
This psychological dimension is particularly important. When a mother experiences fear, humiliation or exclusion because of her religious identity, the consequences do not end with her. They can reach her children, her family and ultimately the wider society.
Protecting women’s freedom of religion or belief therefore means protecting human dignity, equality, family life, pluralism and social cohesion.
EMISCO calls upon governments, international institutions and civil society to recognise the intersection between gender discrimination, anti-Muslim hatred and freedom of religion or belief, and to ensure effective protection, access to justice and psychological and social support for affected women.
No woman should have to conceal or abandon her faith in order to participate fully in society.
This is not only a Muslim concern. It is a question of fundamental rights. It is a question of human dignity. And it is a responsibility we all share.
Thank you.
Freedom of religion or belief is a right for all, including women. Diversity strengthens societies.
Malika AllabergenovaEMISCO Board Member in charge of Women’s issues
2026