Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called for stricter measures to restrict religious symbols and rituals in education, reports "Euronews".
She has called for the ban on full-body veils worn by some Muslim women to be extended to schools and universities.
The country's total ban on burqas and niqabs in public places, introduced in 2018, has not been extended to educational institutions.
However, Frederiksen, who is also the leader of the country's Social Democratic Party, wants to change that, saying that limiting the ban in this way was a mistake.
"There is "There are gaps in the law that allow Muslim social control and oppression of women in educational institutions in Denmark," she said. "You have the right to be a person of faith and to practice your religion, but democracy comes first." Meanwhile, opponents of the blanket ban, including civil society organizations such as Amnesty International, have said it violates women's right to dress as they choose. "All women should be free to dress as they wish and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs," the NGO said in 2018. The position is a direct response to recommendations from the Commission on the Struggle of Forgotten Women, which called for action earlier this year. The same government-appointed committee proposed a ban on wearing the hijab in primary schools to ensure "that women from minority backgrounds can enjoy the same rights and freedoms as other Danish women".
At the time, the proposed ban caused a backlash and protests in Denmark. The plan was rejected in 2023.
Frederiksen also wants prayer rooms to be removed from educational institutions, objecting to the fact that they have been established at several universities and colleges.
The Danish prime minister does not believe that these rooms create inclusion, but rather "provide a platform for discrimination and pressure."
Although Frederiksen does not want a complete ban, she said that Education and Children Minister Mathias Tesfaye and Higher Education Minister Christina Egelund would enter into a dialogue with schools and universities to find a common solution and "make it clear that prayer rooms have no place there."
Danish society cannot afford to be ruled by religious conservatism, Frederiksen said.
"You have the right to have your religion, but when you are at school, you are there to be in school and participate in your education," she concluded.