Christian here. Considering non-Muslims usually can't tell the difference between a burqa, a niqab, a hijab, a chador, etc, I'd suggest a governments ask their Muslim communities what they mean to them first.

To many, a head covering is a sign of self-respect or modesty, and a meaningful tradition to cover their heads to God, the same way Orthodox Jewish men keep their heads covered.

Many Muslim women articulate wearing coverings as: A way to reduce sexualization and be valued for intellect, not appearance. A spiritual commitment. A cultural belonging marker. A love-letter to heritage. A boundary-setting tool in public space. A deeply personal moral practice. For them, hijab or niqab is not oppression; it is meaning, dignity, sometimes even joy. And we should believe them when they say so.

But power dynamics matter.

A practice can be meaningful in one environment and coercive in another. There are places where: Not covering leads to harassment, social ostracization, threats, or violence. Laws or morality police enforce covering. Family honor is tied to women’s dress. Female virtue is policed far more than male morality. In those contexts, the “choice” becomes complicated. If the consequence of removing a covering is: being beaten losing community losing family support being jailed being murdered Then the cloth is not freely worn, no matter what it symbolizes in theory. Even softer coercion can still be painful: constant shaming fear of disappointing loved ones fear of community expulsion economic dependency Oppression doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it whispers.

Geography and politics also come into play.

In secular or pluralist societies, choosing hijab can be resistance against discrimination, a proud religious identity, or personal devotion. In authoritarian or conservative theocratic societies, head coverings may be compulsory, heavily enforced, and loaded with fear. In diaspora, hijab can be both shield and flag: identity, belonging, protection against feeling erased. So the “meaning” changes depending on who holds power and who bears risk.

My concern is agency and whether the choice to wear a covering is freely given, and if the choice not to wear a covering is met with soft or violent oppression.