One of Australia’s largest Christian community services providers is introducing an optional uniform hijab for practicing Muslim women in its 12,000-strong workforce.
Uniting NSW.ACT’s new hijabs in light grey and lillypilly colour are made from polyester georgette and have been co-designed by staff who asked for light breathable fabric that was cool, comfortable and flattering.
A Lebanese Australian Muslim and specialist coach in Uniting’s after care team, Fatemah Daizli, has embraced the brighter hijab which she says will have special appeal for staff who work with children.
“Having a corporate hijab shows how inclusive Uniting is. No matter what people’s beliefs are, Uniting respects and embraces them and their culture” Ms Daizli says.
Uniting NSW.ACT contributes to the work and mission of the Uniting Church through social justice advocacy, community services and spiritual care to serve humanity by creating an inclusive, connected and just world.
Uniting is a uniquely Australian Christian church formed in 1977 from the union of the Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches.
Uniting NSW.ACT CEO Tracey Burton says, “providing an on-brand hijab for staff who identify as Muslim is a deliberate act of inclusion.”
“Inclusion is just the starting point. It’s more than inviting employees to ‘come as you are’—it’s about truly embracing, respecting, and celebrating the diverse cultures, customs, and religious traditions of our people and those we support. At Uniting we want every employee to feel safe, empowered and confident to bring their full identity to work with pride”, Mrs Burton says.
Bangladeshi Australian Muslim and Chair of Uniting’s Cultural Diversity Network, Shami Moon Nahar, says through the design process she discovered how Muslim women embrace their hijab as a tool of personal expression.
“In Australia we have Muslim women from so many countries, and we all wear our hijabs slightly differently, I am from Bangladesh but my style also resembles women from Indonesia,” Nahar says.
Uniting NSW.ACT Director of Mission, Reverend Suzanne Stanton, is delighted by the new uniform items in an organisation that recently held a combined celebration of Shrove Tuesday, Lunar New Year and Ramadan.
“In the Uniting Church we are called to bear witness to a faith that serves humanity and creates an inclusive, connected and just world. Uniting’s grey and lillypilly Hijabs are a visible expression of that respect and inclusion,” Rev Stanton says.
Photo: Uniting staff Shami Moon Nahar (left) and Fatemah Daizli (pictured above).
