Swimming pools in British tourist hotspot ordered to allow women to bathe topless
28 June 2023, 06:19 | Updated: 28 June 2023, 07:03
Women sunbathing at a British holiday hotspot in the north of Spain must be allowed to go topless - or local authorities face a hefty fine.
The Catalan government passed a law in 2020 that allows women to sunbathe topless following protests by feminists.
Now, local authorities could face a fine of up to €500,000 if they do not comply.
It comes after a number of complaints from women who say they have not been allowed to sunbathe topless, despite the 2020 law.
According to the Catalan government's department for equality and feminism, stopping women from sunbathing topless "excludes part of the population and violated the free choice of each person with regard to their body".
The regional government has told local authorities to "defend against discrimination for any motive, including sex or gender, religious convictions or dress".
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Female equality group, which translates to 'Free Nipples', said: "This is a gender equality issue: Men could [go topless] and women couldn't.
"We don't know why they have taken so long, but we are very happy."
