Select Committee · Women and Equalities Committee

Gendered Islamophobia

Status: Closed Opened: 11 Dec 2024 Closed: 13 May 2026 19 recommendations 13 conclusions 1 report

This is a one off session examining issues around gendered Islamophobia. The session aims to understand the specific challenges facing Muslim women in the UK today. The session will examine the difficulties defining and agreeing on a definition of Islamophobia, the barriers women face reporting Islamophobia, and the ways gendered Islamophobia can be challenged.

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
10th Report – Discrimination, harassment and abuse against … HC 571 30 Jan 2026 32 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
10 Conclusion 10th Report – Discrimination, harassmen… Deferred

Law Commission's hate crime recommendations remain unimplemented, hindering the tackling of intersectional hate crimes.

Implementing the recommendations set out in the Law Commission’s Hate Crime Laws: Final Report could improve the ability of the police and Crown Prosecution Service to tackle hate crime, including intersectional hate crime. Such reforms would also signal support to communities affected by intersectional hate crime and encourage broader initiatives … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government is considering the Law Commission's recommendations, has taken some steps, and commissioned an independent review due to report by spring 2026, at which point the Home Secretary will consider the findings.
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Government Equalities Office
11 Recommendation 10th Report – Discrimination, harassmen… Deferred

Implement Law Commission’s recommendations on improving hate crime legislation in the next parliamentary session.

The Government should implement the Law Commission’s recommendations on improving hate crime legislation in the next Session of this Parliament. (Recommendation, Paragraph 68) Discrimination in public life

Government response AI summary
The government is considering the Law Commission's recommendations, has taken some steps, and commissioned an independent review due to report by spring 2026, at which point the Home Secretary will consider the findings.
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Government Equalities Office
13 Recommendation 10th Report – Discrimination, harassmen… Deferred

Consider expanding section 14 of the Equality Act to protect more than two characteristics.

We welcome the Government’s commitment to introducing section 14 of the Equality Act 2010 and the protection it will offer to groups with two protected characteristics. Given that Muslim women may be discriminated against on the basis of their sex, ethnicity and religion, we recommend the Government consider the merits … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government defers to the Equality law call for evidence from April 2025, which sought evidence and views to identify barriers to opportunity and seek expert views on how to overcome these barriers, including on how to strengthen protections against dual discrimination, and will confirm …
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Government Equalities Office
17 Recommendation 10th Report – Discrimination, harassmen… Deferred

Provide key statistics on income and employment by religious affiliation, gender, and ethnic group.

The Government should provide the key statistics on income and employment by religious affiliation and gender as well as by ethnic group in order that ongoing intersectional inequalities can be fully understood and addressed. This includes the statistics provided through the Labour Force Survey by the Office for National Statistics. … Read more

Government response AI summary
While acknowledging the importance of the issue, the government defers to census data and the ONS's work on the Future of Population and Migration statistics to better understand the feasibility of providing religion data between censuses.
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Government Equalities Office
18 Conclusion 10th Report – Discrimination, harassmen… Deferred

Muslim women in frontline services endure anti-Muslim abuse and face mental health barriers.

It is deeply saddening that Muslim women working in frontline services such as healthcare settings are having to endure anti-Muslim abuse while performing their duties in helping others. Reports of a lack of support from colleagues and employers are also troubling. Anti-Muslim discrimination, harassment and abuse can have lasting mental … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states NHS organisations have a duty to protect staff, and plan to introduce new standards for modern employment in April 2026 which are likely to focus on improving staff health and wellbeing, violence, racism and sexual harassment.
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Government Equalities Office

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
15 Jan 2025 Allia Fredericks · Muslim Girls Fence, Dr Irene Zempi · Nottingham Trent University, Raheel Mohammed · Maslaha, The Baroness Shaista Gohir · Muslim Women's Network UK View ↗

Who gave evidence

4 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Allia Fredericks · Senior Project Manager Muslim Girls Fence 1
Dr Irene Zempi · Associate Professor in Criminology Nottingham Trent University 1
Raheel Mohammed · Director Maslaha 1
The Baroness Shaista Gohir · CEO Muslim Women's Network UK 1