In what is being hailed as a "step forward" for gender equality, women in Berlin, Germany can now swim in the city's swimming pools topless, just as men can.
The decree stems from an incident last December, after a female swimmer said she was prevented from attending one of the city's pools without covering her chest. The woman lodged a complaint with the city's ombudsman's office at the Senate Department for Justice, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination.
According to CNN, authorities agreed that the woman had been a victim of discrimination, and this week said that all visitors to Berlin's pools, including women and those who identify as non-binary, are now permitted to go topless.
Berlin's state government released a statement on Thursday that read, "As a result of a successful discrimination complaint, the Berlin bathing establishments will in future apply their house and bathing regulations in a gender-equitable manner."
Dr. Doris Liebscher, the head of the ombudsman's office, hailed the move as a step forward for gender equality in the city.
"The ombudsman very much welcomes the decision of the bathing establishments because it creates equal rights for all Berliners, whether male, female or non-binary and because it also creates legal certainty for the staff in the bathing establishments," she said.
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