Scenario:
Amina Khan is a 32-year-old Canadian-born Muslim woman who wears a hijab. She has retained your law firm to assist with a workplace discrimination matter.
Amina works as a project manager at a mid-sized technology company. Following her return from a two-week religious holiday to celebrate Eid with her family, she noticed a change in her workplace environment.
Amina reports that her supervisor began excluding her from high-visibility projects, suggesting she might be “too busy with religious commitments.” In addition, a coworker made repeated comments about her hijab being “oppressive” and questioned whether her husband “allows” her to work.
Amina filed an internal complaint with Human Resources; however, her concerns were dismissed as “misunderstandings,” and she was advised not to be “overly sensitive.”
Since raising her complaint, Amina has been reassigned to lower-level tasks. She believes this may be a form of retaliation. She reports feeling emotionally distressed and is hesitant to pursue legal action due to concerns about being perceived as “playing the race or religion card.”
During your initial meeting, Amina appears guarded, which may reflect prior experiences of feeling dismissed or misunderstood. She expresses concern about whether legal professionals fully understand Islam or the specific stereotypes faced by Muslim women in professional environments.
Questions:
- How can Amina’s lawyer build trust and provide culturally competent, bias-free legal services?
- What forms of discrimination or stereotyping might be influencing Amina’s workplace experience including Human Resources response?
- What legal options and protections are available to Amina regarding discrimination, harassment, and retaliation?
- What could Amina’s employer do to help make their workplace free from discrimination and harassment?
For assistance in answering these questions, consult the Society’s Equity Lens Toolkit.
Review the NSBS answers at Equity in Action Scenario: Client seeking Services (Answers).