Malawi to allow Muslim women wear hijab on driving license photos

Officials from Malawi’s Department of the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) have announced that Muslim women in Malawi will no longer be required to take off their hijabs for their driving license pictures. The move follows after reports emerged that some Malawian women were being forced to remove their hijabs to obtain […]

Officials from Malawi’s Department of the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) have announced that Muslim women in Malawi will no longer be required to take off their hijabs for their driving license pictures.

The move follows after reports emerged that some Malawian women were being forced to remove their hijabs to obtain their driving licenses and traffic registration identity cards.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the country’s traffic authority said the decision to lift ban on hijab for driving licenses was made after “serious talks” were held with the Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) and an agreement was reached on how to handle Muslim women at the authority’s offices nationwide.

“Muslim women may not be required to remove the head gear entirely but they should at least expose necessary facial features for facial recognition,” the statement said. 

(Nyasa Times)