Catalan public swimming pools are ordered to allow women to go topless 

‘Free Nipples’ activists in Spain celebrate after public swimming pools were ordered to allow women to go topless.

An equality law passed in 2020 has allowed women to go topless in public swimming pools in Catalonia.

The regional government led by the pro-independence-minded Catalan Republican Left (ERC) may fine authorities who do not follow the ruling up to 500,000 euros (£430,000).

But some local authorities have still banned topless swimming for women, prompting complaints from members of the feminist group Mugrons Lliures (Free Nipples).

Now the equality and feminism department of the Catalan government has written a letter to the city and town halls, intended as a “reminder” of the mandatory law, a spokesman said.

The letter says that preventing women from going topless “excludes a section of the population and violates each person’s free choice with regard to their body.”

It affirmed that local authorities must “defend against discrimination for any reason … including sex or gender, religious belief or dress.”

Mariona Trabal, a spokesperson for Free Nipples, said: ‘This is a gender equality issue: men could [go topless] and women couldn’t.’

She added to the letter: “We don’t know why it took so long, but we are very happy.”

The Catalan government also allows breastfeeding and the use of full-body bathing suits, including the Islamic burkini.

Last year, Catalan authorities launched an advertising campaign to support a woman’s right to go topless after some complained that they were not allowed to do so.

‘The sexualization of women starts when they are young, and it accompanies us throughout our lives. That we have to cover our breasts in some areas is proof,” said a video released as part of the campaign.

The ad featured a topless photo of a man that read, “This nipple is free” (left) and a photo of a woman covering her nipple with the caption, “This one isn’t” (right)

The video also targeted double standards between genders, pointing out that it is more acceptable for men to go topless than for women.

Authorities from Catalonia’s equality department decided to launch the campaign after two women complained they were told to cover their breasts in public swimming pools.

Neus Pociello, executive director of the Catalan Women’s Institute, said The Telegraph that the campaign was an attempt to fight back against discrimination.

“We wanted to try and combat the discrimination that women sometimes face when they go topless in some situations, such as swimming pools. Women should have the right to freedom of expression with their bodies,” Pociello told the newspaper.

“This discrimination stems from the sexualization of the female body and starts at an early age when girls are dressed in bikinis, even if they are prepubescent. We hope this campaign will change that.’