Moroccan journalist talks hijab bias, parliamentary demands made

A Moroccan journalist is claiming that wearing a headscarf prohibits women in getting key jobs in the Kingdom.

Nadia Layoubi, editor-in-chief and presenter on 2M channel, wrote on her personal Facebook expressing disappointment at not having opportunities as others because she dons the hijab, according to Bladi on January 7th.

“It saddens me that presenting the news on our channel is still not available to us because of the headscarf, despite our competence and presence… No matter the restrictions, the creative heart finds its way to reach its goal,” she wrote on her post.

Layoubi is a Moroccan journalist who specialises in environmental issues, appearing on many 2M programmes, having been the first journalist to appear in religious clothing on air. She has also covered the 2011 Moroccan elections extensively, leading to a controversy about the Party of Justice and Development (PJD) allegedly influencing the dress code on TV, as the party is generally viewed as Islamist and religious. 

Yet according to her, the main news anchor’s chair has not been accessible to her yet.

Layoubi’s post gained traction online, with many people calling her courageous for expressing herself. The discussion has opened on Morocco’s public broadcasting criteria, where users were questioning why appearance is given weight over competence.

On January 8th, a parliamentary advisor representing the National Union of Labour affiliated with the PJD Party, Khaled Setti, questioned the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication about the official criteria used to select news presenters for public broadcasting. 

He emphasised whether appearances were part of the selection standards, and questioned the government on why traditional Moroccan clothing, such as the djellaba, fez, and headscarf, was not visible in public broadcasting, and whether there were reasons for it.

Setti has demanded that the Ministry disclose the measures it will undertake to ensure all journalists have an equal opportunity without discrimination or bias. He highlighted how professional competence must be favoured in public media, which is a service paid for with public money for all citizens.

Nadia Layoubi has responded to the controversy her post created, clarifying that she wanted to have a healthy discussion and see the hijab in media as common, rather than an exception or subject of controversy, reported Nishan on January 8th.

She explained that her intention and purpose for the post was to initiate an open discussion about the criteria for presenting on news bulletins, where competence and professional ability must be the standard, and appearance, religion, and ideology must be disregarded.

Morocco ranked 120th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, amidst a wider climate of legal pressure faced by journalists in Morocco. A report by Morocco’s Public Prosecution revealed that the number of journalists prosecuted in the kingdom more than doubled in 2024 compared to the year 2023, raising serious concerns for the Moroccan Press and journalists.

Bladi, Morocco World News, PJD, Nishan, Maghrebi.org