Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Acknowledged
Muslim women experience increasing, gendered, and intersectional abuse and discrimination in the UK.
Conclusion
Muslims in the UK face increasing levels of online, verbal, and physical abuse and discrimination. Muslim women are disproportionately likely to face such abuse and experience it in ways that are specifically gendered and often linked to their race and/or ethnic identity, as well as their perceived inability to retaliate. Such abuse and harassment occurs in everyday situations, including in shops and on public transport. It can also come from within their communities, where patriarchal networks can challenge women who seek greater autonomy, and perpetrators of abuse rely on customs and traditions to justify their behaviour. This freedom-restricting harassment, both from direct experience and the fear of experiencing it, leads to self- censorship and a withdrawal from participation in public life. It has a deeply damaging impact on individual lives and a corrosive effect on community cohesion. (Conclusion, Paragraph 35)
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the Committee's inquiry and recognises the seriousness of anti-Muslim hatred directed at women and girls, stating they are determined to work across different sectors to tackle the issue.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
1. The Government welcomes the Women and Equalities Committee’s inquiry into Gendered Islamophobia and the resulting report, published on 30 January 2026, exploring the discrimination, harassment and abuse Muslim women presently face. We are grateful to the Committee and all those who provided evidence. We recognise the seriousness of this issue and the urgent need to address both the immediate threats and the underlying causes of anti-Muslim hatred directed at women and girls. The Government is determined to work and across different sectors and organisations, both national and regional, to collectively tackle this serious issue.