On Monday, the Actiris unemployment office suspended a job offer from an elementary school in the Brussels municipality of Etterbeek that stated that "wearing a headscarf is forbidden."
The Sainte-Geneviève Catholic elementary school posted a job offer, looking for someone who can clean and supervise children.
Actiris suspended the job posting while it conducts a legal analysis, and it will contact the school to reformulate the offer, according to reports by La Dernière Heure and La Libre, which have since been confirmed by Actiris spokesperson Romain Adam.
Related News
- Women-only hours in Brussels public open-air pool cause online controversy
- 'Madness': liberals oppose burkinis in Brussels public open-air swimming pool
- 'Either a referee or a player': liberals oppose Equality Commissioner with headscarf
"The wording is discriminatory in the sense that it essentially targets the wearing of headscarves," he told the Belga news agency. "On the other hand, the school remains free to adopt a policy of neutrality in accordance with its internal regulations."
In the meantime, Brussels Employment Minister Bernard Clerfayt, who supervises Actiris Brussels, tweeted a similar stance.
Cette formulation est discriminante et doit être corrigée. L'école reste évidemment libre d'adopter une politique de neutralité, en l'indiquant dans son Règlement d'Ordre Intérieur. @ActirisBrussels https://t.co/Unq2aSX7xw
— Bernard Clerfayt (@BernardClerfayt) September 27, 2021
"This wording is discriminatory and should be corrected," he said. "The school is, of course, free to adopt a policy of neutrality, by indicating this in its internal rules."
The Brussels Times
