The lady who got rejected for a job because she wore a hijab

I got a call yesterday from a lady who briefed me that she was denied a job she is qualified for solely because she wore a hijab based on her religious sentiments.

She applied for the job and was invited for an interview, as a Muslim lady she wrapped a hijab around her head done her neck, right there the recruiter told her brazenly that although she was qualified for the role she will not be employed based on the fact that she was wearing a hijab because that it is against their company policy unless she will be ready to forgo the hijab and other things she uses to identify with her religion.

From the tone of her voice, I can sense the trauma, the humiliation and the embarrassment she faced and the consciousness that she was denied a job based solely on her religion is despicable.

This is not the first time we are hearing or reading about stuff similar to this, some of you might have even experienced it in one way or the other; Job seekers being turned down not because they are not qualified for the role but because of their tribe, religion or look. Landlords or house owners turn down house hunters seeking apartments to rent or buy based on their tribe, origin, gender or religion. It is regular to hear landlords say that they are not renting their house out to a person because of the gender of the person, some will say that they do not want single women or men in their houses as tenants. Some will say that they do not want an Igbo person, a Yoruba, a Hausa man, a Fulani person, a Christian or a Muslim to live in his house.

I as well have experienced my own fair share of discrimination. I was discriminated against based on my profession. I remember one time I was house hunting in Abuja, I got an apartment I really liked and was ready to proceed with the payments and to move in, the house agent asked me what I do for a living and I told him that I’m a lawyer and he told me without mincing words that I can not be given the house because the landlord says that does not want tenants who are lawyers.

I was taken aback; I felt humiliated and embarrassed and I decided to escalate the issue. I called the landlord directly telling him what the agent had told me and how that amounts to discrimination against me, I as well pressed down on him on how I want to escalate the issue. The Landlord came to reason and decided to settle down with me and asked me to go ahead and make payment for the apartment but I ended up letting go of the house due to that experience.

All these whichever form they come are discriminations that our laws frown upon and criminalize. Any form of discrimination no matter what the reasons behind it could be is illegal, unconstitutional and criminal. Our constitution surmounts your company policy or your emotions or sentiments. 

As an employer of labour, it is illegal for you to reject a prospective employee based solely on her tribe, religion or looks. As a landlord or house owner, it is unconstitutional for you to turn down a prospective tenant because of where that person is from, what religion the person identifies with or because of the gender of the person. 

Our laws are clear on this;  no Nigerian citizen should be discriminated against because of tribe, sex, or religion.  This is the unequivocal provision of S 42 of the constitution which states categorically that “A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion (shall not be discriminated against under any circumstances)”.

Whenever opportunities are denied of you not because you are not qualified for them but solely because of your tribe, religion or gender you should know that you have been discriminated against which is illegal and unconstitutional; do not hesitate to see a lawyer who can help you to enforce your rights against discrimination as provided in S 42 of our constitution.