The Supreme Court of Kosovo confirmed the decision banning the wearing of the headscarf in public schools, assessing that it is in accordance with the dress code regulations prescribed by the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation.
The court rejected the lawsuit filed by the organization Arrita – Network for the Professional Development of Women, which claimed that the ban represents a form of discrimination and violates the fundamental rights of female students. According to their statements, numerous girls have been excluded from classes over the past four years because they wore the headscarf.
The Supreme Court, however, concluded that the Ministry has the legal right to prescribe a school dress code in accordance with the laws on pre-university and vocational education.
The ban on wearing the headscarf has sparked controversy in Kosovo for years, even though Muslims make up more than 90 percent of the population. The topic first became a matter of broader public debate in 2010, when instructions were introduced prohibiting so-called “religious uniforms.”
The Islamic Community of Kosovo stated at the time that the headscarf is not a uniform but a part of the religious obligation of Muslim women.
