France could ban discrimination based on the length or colour of someone's hair

French lawmakers are set to debate legislation that bans discrimination over the texture, length, colour or style of someone’s hair.

On Thursday, politicians will vote in the National Assembly on a bill to outlaw hair discrimination.

The legislation could help combat discrimination against textures or styles associated with a particular race or national origin such as dreadlocks, afros and braids.

Olivier Serva, a legislator from Guadeloupe, proposed the bill aiming to position France as the first nation to nationally recognise hair-based discrimination.The bill seeks to update labour and criminal codes to specifically ban discrimination against individuals with curly, coiled, or "unprofessional" hairstyles, including those who are bald.

It does not specifically target race-based discrimination, though that was the primary motivation for the bill.

"People who don't fit in Euro-centric standards are facing discrimination, stereotypes and bias," Mr Serva, who is black, told the Associated Press.

"It's about time," said Estelle Vallois, a 43-year-old consultant getting her short, coiled hair cut in a Paris salon, where the hairdressers are trained to handle all types of hair - a rarity in France.

"Today, we're going even further toward taking down these barriers of discrimination."

Members of President Macron's Renaissance party and left-wing parties support the bill, increasing its chances of passing in Thursday's National Assembly vote.However, conservative and far-right legislators oppose it, viewing the bill as an attempt to introduce American ideas of race and racial discrimination to France.

In the US, 24 states have implemented the CROWN Act, aimed at ending race-based hair discrimination in jobs, housing, schools, and the military.