Cultural Issue: Muslim female nurses often struggle to find jilbab-compliant scrubs that meet hygiene standards. Several hospitals in Jakarta and Surabaya were reported in 2022 for requiring nurses to remove headscarves during surgery rotations, leading to protests from the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI).
Cultural Issue: In Hindu-majority Bali, hotel management often requests hijabi staff to remove headscarves for "guest service image," especially in high-end resorts catering to Russian and Australian tourists. Meanwhile, Muslim tourists in Bali report being followed in malls or denied pool access for wearing full-coverage swimwear (burkini). The Bali Hotels Association has no uniform policy, leading to individual discrimination.
Verified Social Issue: Contrary to the myth that only conservative schools mandate hijab, several state schools in West Sumatra and Banten have locally enforced "jilbab mandatory" rules for all female Muslim students. In 2019, a viral case from Padang involved a Buddhist student forced to wear a jilbab because the school lacked non-hijab uniforms. The Ombudsman of Indonesia ruled this a violation of religious rights.
