Enacted in 2019, Law 21 revoked the right to wear religious symbols at work for certain public servants in Quebec, including teachers, police officers, and prosecutors. Quebec’s religious communities have been disproportionately impacted – most significantly, women who wear headscarves commonly referred to as “hijabs”. These women’s career prospects have now been severely restricted in Quebec. The effects of the law have also reverberated outward, shaping Canadian public debates on Islamophobia, rights, freedoms, and national identity.
Read LEAF’s factsheet summarizing some of the key impacts on communities across the province.