Growing Up in Niqab: A Personal Reflection on Childhood, Faith and Identity

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Seeing a 14-year-old Nigerian spelling champion in niqab made me reflect on my own childhood in Muslim spaces. I grew up learning that the length of my hijab, the school I attended and how much of myself I covered could determine whether others saw me as a “good Muslim.” I remember a friend who once loved colourful clothes and fashion but gradually adopted fuller coverings after repeated reminders to cover up. I cannot know whether her choices brought her peace or came from pressure. What stayed with me was how differently two girls can absorb the same religious expectations. This is not an argument that every child in hijab or niqab lacks agency. Children inherit faith, culture and traditions long before they can fully explain them. But adults should ask whether teaching modesty also leaves enough room for a child’s confidence, individuality and evolving sense of self. When a child grows up, I hope she can see her face and identity as her own, not something controlled by parents, teachers or communal expectations.

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