Halima Aden assists in producing facemasks for hijab-wearing healthcare workers

As many hijab-wearing women are working at health care facilities, I wanted to make sure they have a comfortable option for wearing a mask while keeping their hair covered

22-year-old Halima Aden is making history.

• She first was noted for competing for the title of Miss Minnesota USA in a burkini.
• She was the first model to wear a hijab and burkini in a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
• Aden is currently doing her part to help healthcare workers of all faiths get access to proper personal protective equipment (PPE) as they continue to work amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Halima Aden is a Somali-American model who recently partnered with Allure and fashion tech start-up, Anywear to help design a line of hijabs and turbans, along with matching face coverings, for frontline/healthcare workers. Aden’s work is part of Anywear’s Banding Together Project, which was formed to create cloth-based protective gear that can help healthcare workers avoid discomfort, abrasions, bruises, and marks left by other types of PPE.

Aden was a healthcare worker, and she shared why it was important to her to be involved in the project: 

“Having worked in a hospital, even several months into my modeling career, it was important for me to support this project,” “As many hijab-wearing women are working at healthcare facilities, I wanted to make sure they have a comfortable option for wearing a mask while keeping their hair covered.”

Aden said on the project’s website.

It is important to note that every time you purchase one of Aden’s designs (or, TBH, any design from the Banding Together Project), Anywear will match with a donation of an adjustable headband, hijab set, or medical cap to a healthcare worker in need. Plus, all proceeds from The Banding Together Project will be used to cover the costs of labor, materials, manufacturing, and distribution of products for donation to hospital workers.

“This is giving people the tools to feel comfortable and do their job to the best of their ability,” Aden told Vogue of her partnership with Anywear. “There are so many hijabi women working in healthcare, and their comfort is as important as anyone else’s in the workforce.”

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Knowing the struggles that women who wear the hijab go through —having to privately go to the bathroom to remove their masks from under their hijab — it was important that these face coverings had adjustable bands so it can be worn over the hijab opposed to behind the ears. Every minute counts when working with patients and I’m super proud we can give a hassle free option to hijab wearing frontline workers. I want to thank my friends at @anyweardesign and @allure for this incredible project that hits so close to home ♥️

A post shared by Halima (@halima) on Jun 16, 2020 at 2:50pm PDT

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As someone who worked cleaning patient rooms even seven months into my modeling career, I have an empathetic heart for the thousands of medical workers who are on the frontline and doing all they can around the country to help with what the foreseeable future holds. May we honor all of the many heroes who have stepped up to lead at all levels.. so thank you to all my EVS specialist, volunteers, nurses, paramedics and so on ♥️?? YOU are the real heroes.

A post shared by Halima (@halima) on Mar 29, 2020 at 11:28am PDT