Denmark: No ban on veiled daycare worker

A wide spread political demand to ban a veiled daycare worker in Odense has come to nothing.

When Berlingske Tidende had written about the case six weeks ago, even the prime minister reacted, saying that if there was no law for the ban then a law would be made.

Now family services, which is under the Consumer and Family Affairs Ministry ministry, answered the Odense municipality, but with a completely different tune.

On the one hand a veil, where the woman's  body and face are covered "as starting point" is not considered compatible with taking care of children.  But on the other hand, it is preferable not to subjectively prevent a daycare worker or a public employee from working by posing such a particular demand for work.

Jane Jegind, a Liberal council-member in Odense is disappointed, but had sent it to the municipality's lawyer for further research.  She says that they will not give up and that they will demand from the government to hold on to their promise to make such a law.

The case revolved around a woman from the Odense neighborhood of Vollsmose who was employed by a group of Muslim parents to take care of their children in a private care center.  The municipality's supervisor thought that the the women's niqab was incompatible with the pedagogic aims of child care, but the municipality' lawyer found no basis to say no to the woman and therefore the municipality continues to pay for the care.

Source: Berlingske (Danish)

See also: Denmark: Burka debate