Name: What does my headscarf mean to you?
Uploaded: 2015-05-27T15:46:31Z
Duration: 13 min 52 s
Description: What do you think when you look at this speaker? Well, think again. (And then again.) In this funny, honest, empathetic talk, Yassmin Abdel-Magied challenges us to look beyond our initial perceptions, and to open doors to new ways of supporting others.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied: What does my headscarf mean to you?

What does my headscarf mean to you?

What do you think when you look at this speaker? Well, think again. (And then again.) In this funny, honest, empathetic talk, Yassmin Abdel-Magied challenges us to look beyond our initial perceptions, and to open doors to new ways of supporting others.

Unconscious bias shapes how people are perceived based on superficial traits, from headscarves to names. In one study, women’s chances of joining top orchestras increased dramatically with blind auditions and even more when they removed their shoes to mask gender cues. Bias, not merit, often determines who gets hired or promoted, narrowing diversity in influential roles. Real change starts when people mentor those outside their own backgrounds and actively expand access.