Since 2019, a secularism law in Quebec has barred some public sector workers, like judges, police officers and teachers, from wearing religious attire at work. Now, the country's highest court is preparing to consider its future.
Lisa Robicheau describes her life as stuck between a rock and a hard place. The 41-year-old single mother of two, who wears a hijab, works in Montreal's English-language school system as a contract support worker for students with disabilities - a job she loves and where she is exempt from the current law. But Robicheau can't help feeling anxious about her future and whether she will be able to continue working in a public school while being visibly Muslim in Quebec. The uncertainty has led her to enroll back in university, hoping to find a different job—or even leave the province.
I've spent the majority of my life here, but it never feels like home, she told the BBC. I am constantly being treated like an outsider.
Robicheau is one of several Muslim women living in Quebec who say their life and work have become increasingly difficult since the law—which bans religious symbols for public employees in positions of 'authority'—was implemented seven years ago. Proponents of the law, known as Bill 21, argue that it upholds secularism and neutrality in Quebec public life, a concept known as laïcité in the majority French-speaking province.
On Monday, the Supreme Court will begin a four-day hearing in Ottawa on a constitutional challenge to Bill 21. Thirteen challengers brought the case to court, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the National Council of Canadian Muslims, and the English Montreal School Board.
Because Muslim women make up a larger share of Quebec's population than other religious minorities, they have been particularly affected, said Nadia Hasan, a researcher and associate professor at York University in Toronto. She found that 73% of more than 400 Muslim women she spoke to felt the secularism law affected their ability to look for a job, and a similar number said they have considered leaving the province.
The Quebec government is now seeking to expand its secularism laws to include all staff at public schools, not just teachers and principals, and to daycare centres. The law includes exemptions for those who worked before its proposal, but many have been fired or suspended based on the new regulations. Polls indicate a majority of Quebecers support the law, raising questions about the balance between religious freedoms and secularism in the Canadian province.
As the Supreme Court deliberates, Bill 21's legacy remains uncertain. Robicheau hopes the court will affirm that certain rights are untouchable, highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by visible minorities in Quebec.
Lisa Robicheau describes her life as stuck between a rock and a hard place. The 41-year-old single mother of two, who wears a hijab, works in Montreal's English-language school system as a contract support worker for students with disabilities - a job she loves and where she is exempt from the current law. But Robicheau can't help feeling anxious about her future and whether she will be able to continue working in a public school while being visibly Muslim in Quebec. The uncertainty has led her to enroll back in university, hoping to find a different job—or even leave the province.
I've spent the majority of my life here, but it never feels like home, she told the BBC. I am constantly being treated like an outsider.
Robicheau is one of several Muslim women living in Quebec who say their life and work have become increasingly difficult since the law—which bans religious symbols for public employees in positions of 'authority'—was implemented seven years ago. Proponents of the law, known as Bill 21, argue that it upholds secularism and neutrality in Quebec public life, a concept known as laïcité in the majority French-speaking province.
On Monday, the Supreme Court will begin a four-day hearing in Ottawa on a constitutional challenge to Bill 21. Thirteen challengers brought the case to court, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the National Council of Canadian Muslims, and the English Montreal School Board.
Because Muslim women make up a larger share of Quebec's population than other religious minorities, they have been particularly affected, said Nadia Hasan, a researcher and associate professor at York University in Toronto. She found that 73% of more than 400 Muslim women she spoke to felt the secularism law affected their ability to look for a job, and a similar number said they have considered leaving the province.
The Quebec government is now seeking to expand its secularism laws to include all staff at public schools, not just teachers and principals, and to daycare centres. The law includes exemptions for those who worked before its proposal, but many have been fired or suspended based on the new regulations. Polls indicate a majority of Quebecers support the law, raising questions about the balance between religious freedoms and secularism in the Canadian province.
As the Supreme Court deliberates, Bill 21's legacy remains uncertain. Robicheau hopes the court will affirm that certain rights are untouchable, highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by visible minorities in Quebec.
