Britain: A report

Evidence suggested the biggest cause of the "acute" disadvantage felt by Muslim women is their religion, it said. 

"The impact of Islamophobia on Muslim women should not be underestimated," it went on. 

"They are 71% more likely than white Christian women to be unemployed, even when they have the same educational level and language skills." 

They face particular issues of discrimination when applying for jobs because of the clothes some of them they wear because of their religion or culture, the MPs suggest.

Married women in Muslim communities are often expected to be home-makers while their husbands are the breadwinners, the committee heard from expert witnesses. 

"The impact of the very real inequality, discrimination and Islamophobia that Muslim women experience is exacerbated by the pressures that some women feel from parts of their communities to fulfil a more traditional role," the committee said. (source: the bbc)