Public swimming pools in Catalonia should allow women to swim without swimsuit tops, the regional government has said. The right to swim topless has been enshrined in the Catalan equality law since 2020. However, several public pools continued to deny women who exercised this right.
Now the Department for Equality and Feminism of the Catalan government has sent a letter to the mayor’s offices of cities and towns reminding them that they are obliged to allow both men and women to swim topless.
A ban on topless bathing by women “excludes a section of the population and violates the free choice of each person regarding his body,” the letter says. “Local authorities must protect against discrimination on any grounds… including sex or gender, religious beliefs or dress.”
Pools that do not comply with the equality law can be fined 500,000 euros.
So if you are planning a trip to Spain, be sure to bring a bikini with you, but don’t worry if you suddenly forget or lose your top half.
How did people react to the change in topless swimming rules?
Feminist group Mugrons Lliures welcomed the decision. “It’s a matter of gender equality: Men can swim topless, but women can’t,” said spokeswoman Marion Trabal. “We don’t know why they took so long, but we are very happy.”
Some pool goers share this view. “Of course I would go swimming bare-chested, and many times I was asked to cover up,” a Spanish swimmer told the EBU.
“Everyone should have the right to go without a swimsuit top if they so desire. I understand that in a private pool you are subject to the decision of the owner, but in public pools the rules should be the same for both men and women,” agreed another. “If they don’t wear tops, then we shouldn’t wear them either.”
The left-liberal government of Catalonia launched a campaign last year to normalize women going topless if they want to.