Women in many countries face harassment for clothing deemed too religious – or too secular

Religious restrictions around the world often target women, who in many countries face censure because their clothing is considered too religious – or not religious enough. These restrictions frequently take the form of social harassment by individuals or groups, but also sometimes involve official government actions.

According to sources examined for a new Pew Research Center analysis, women in 56 countries experienced social hostilities due to clothing that was deemed to violate religious or secular dress norms between 2016 and 2018. Meanwhile, women in 61 countries faced government restrictions on dress – specifically, regulations on their head coverings – in 2018.

Few in global publics surveyed say their own religious beliefs are often in tension with science

There is a long-standing debate about whether science and religion are compatible with one another, inherently at odds, or perhaps best seen in some other way altogether. Many people around the world see a general conflict between science and religion, but far fewer say their personal religious beliefs often conflict with science, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of 20 publics around the world. The report also looks at views toward evolution and more recent scientific developments, such as gene editing and animal cloning.

20 striking findings from 2020

Pew Research Center's 20 striking findings from 2020 include two about religion: one (No. 10) on the share of Americans who believe God is sending humankind a lesson through the coronavirus pandemic, and another (No. 16) on the percentage of U.S. adults who believe the Bible should influence U.S. laws.

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