Birmingham woman's PPE hijab design now available worldwide

Aminah Shafiq of Severn Trent hopes her design will empower other Muslim women to become engineers.

A personal protective equipment (PPE) hijab created by a woman from Birmingham has now become available worldwide.

Aminah Shafiq, a Severn Trent water quality scientist, wears a headscarf and felt more accessible gear was needed for water treatment site visits.

The 26-year-old then created the design in 2021.

"Your choice of clothing shouldn't be a barrier to the career you want," she said.

Since making the initial prototype with PPE manufacturers Pulsar, she has been approached by other companies looking to implement the PPE hijab in the workplace.

Her creation is now being used by firms across the globe.

The creator has won many awards for her design and helps to champion diversity and inclusion

Ms Shafiq added: "Unless it impacts you directly, people won't really know the barrier something like this can have and it's been a true experience in why diversity matters.

"For me, it was the issue of having to excuse myself to adjust my headscarf if it was a little uncomfortable under PPE jackets, or my hard hat not fitting properly or having lots of material to think about where to place it."

Her achievements saw her become a Commonwealth Games baton bearer

Ms Shafiq has travelled the world to raise awareness about inclusion in the workplace through conferences and seminars, and hopes to empower other Muslim women.

She said: "Since creating it I've had so many women and young girls get in touch who have told me they are looking into a career in engineering now, now they know that something like this exists."

The creator went on to win awards at the Water Industry Awards and British Muslim Awards for the design, and was also one of the baton bearers at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

She now sits on Severn Trent's Ethnicity Network Group, to help boost inclusivity within the company.