Berlin introduced the policy change after a 33-year-old woman , who has not been named, filed a discrimination complaint after an employee at a city swimming pool asked her to cover her breasts when she visited in December 2022. When she refused, the employee forced her to leave the pool. The woman said the pool's rules had nothing to do with gender.
The woman then went to the Senate ombudsman's office to demand equal treatment, where women can swim topless like men.
In response to complaints and the involvement of the ombudsman, Berliner Baederbetriebe, the company that runs the city's public pools, decided to change a series of dress codes.
"The ombudsman's office welcomes the Baederbetriebe decision, because it establishes equal rights for all Berliners, regardless of gender," said Chief Ombudsman Doris Liebscher.
Previously, women who went topless at Berlin swimming pools were asked to cover up or leave, and sometimes banned from returning. “Now it is important that the rule is applied consistently and that no further expulsions or bans are issued,” Liebscher said.
Berlin is not the first city in Germany to allow women to go topless in public swimming pools. Last year, the cities of Siegen, Goettingen, and Hannover also introduced similar regulations.
Minh Hoa (t/h)
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