Topless women in public swimming pools allowed, says government

The Catalan equality and feminism ministry has made it clear that women can go topless in public swimming pools, as they can on beaches.

In a letter sent to local councils, the government department pointed out that the 2020 Catalan equality law does not allow such practices to be banned, as has been the case at many facilities until now .

Such prohibitions "are actions that exclude the access of a part of the population to certain services and violate the freedom of choice of people over their own body," reads the letter.

Indeed, for the equality ministry it is "discriminatory" to ban topless women, breastfeeding, or long swimsuits and therefore, any local council prohibition is not valid.

For the ministry, any exclusion for such reasons "hampers the enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms of people in equal rights."

The letter also states that swimwear needs to be appropriate for swimming, guaranteeing personal hygiene and covering genitals, and also points out to local councils that bans on grounds of origin or ethnic background is not allowed.