Berlin, the capital of Germany, has decided to allow women to be topless in swimming pools. The intention is to ensure that men and women are treated equally in swimming attire.
According to major foreign media such as the Washington Post (WP) and AP on the 10th, the Berliner Baadervetribe (BBB), an organization that manages swimming pools in Berlin, said in a statement the day before, “‘topless’ for both men and women. ) is allowed” and said that the pool dress code has been improved.
In the regulations, there are no gender-specific rules for swimming pools. Short sleeves, bikinis and burkinis for Muslims are acceptable attire. However, it is not clear who should wear what.
Accordingly, women can swim or sunbathe with their breasts uncovered. The new regulations apply equally to indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
This decision by the city of Berlin was triggered by an incident in December last year when a woman in her 30s was kicked out while swimming in a swimming pool while taking off her top. At that time, Mr. A reported this fact to the ‘Office for Equal Treatment’ under the city of Berlin.
This office is an institution that implements and implements the anti-discrimination law enacted separately by the city of Berlin in 2020. When Mr. A’s complaint was received, the ‘Ombudsman Center’, which monitors and supervises administrative complaints, immediately started to grasp the situation.
Mr. A said, “It is discrimination to ask women to dress differently than men. “claimed. The Ombudsman Center accepted Mr. A’s claim and judged that this case was discriminatory.
Some commented that “women’s swimsuits sold on the market usually cover the chest, so women’s claims are excessive.” However, the Ombudsman Center said, “The swimsuit sold on the market is a term created to distinguish it from the clothes worn in everyday life, and it is difficult to see it as ‘covering the upper body’.”
The Ombudsman Center praised the decision, saying it “established equal rights for all Berliners, whether male or female, and created legal certainty for swimming pool workers.”
In Germany, meanwhile, topless swimsuits are widely permitted in cities other than Berlin. Keon, professor of social psychology at the University of West London, told The Post: “Germans are quite tolerant of nudity. They view nudity as a kind of ‘free body culture’ rather than a sexual connotation.”
sby@news1.kr
