An increasing number of Australians are against women wearing burqas in public, according to a new Roy Morgan poll.
Of the 1,328 Australians surveyed, 55.5 per cent didn’t think women should be allowed to wear a burqa in public, a 3.5 per cent increase from 2010.
Those who thought it was permissible (44.5 per cent) were then asked whether women should be allowed to wear the burqa when giving evidence in court. For the second question, 79.5 per cent answered ‘no’, down from 1.5 per cent since August 2010.
The SMS Morgan poll also found that Liberal voters (70.5 per cent against) were strongly against women wearing burqas in public, while both ALP (44 per cent against) and Greens voters (20.5 per cent against) were more supportive.
Both men (57.5 per cent) and women (53 per cent) quite equally opposed the right for women to wear the burqa.
Interestingly, the results show a correlation between age and opposition towards women wearing the burqa in public. Nearly 70 per cent of Australians aged 18 to 24 said women should be allowed to wear the burqa. But that number decreased as age increased, with 65.5 per cent of people aged 50 to 64 voting no.
Age | Create Infographics
Across the nation, those in Western Australia were least in favour of the burqa (60.5 per cent against), along with 62 per cent of people living in regional areas.
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