One day per year, thousands of women around the world take to the streets topless. Sunday 21 August is known as ‘Go Topless Day’, which was initiated in 2007 by an American activist association for women’s rights.
The day is dedicated to highlighting the general convention of allowing men to appear topless in public while viewing it sexual or indecent for women to do the same, a difference many consider as the unjust treatment of women.
Arguing that it should be legally and culturally acceptable for women to bare their nipples in public, people protest against political measures taking away the freedoms of women, particularly the freedom to walk around bare-chested.
Free the nipple
Similar campaigns have fought for gender equality on this particular topic, such as ‘Free the nipple’ and an action launched by the Topfree Equal Rights Association, which considers the ban on women showing their breasts as discrimination.
These movements invite citizens to protest topless to defend women’s rights and advocate for gender equality. Sunday’s events are listed on this ‘boobmap’, though Belgium does not have any planned events yet.
In one of Belgium's neighbouring countries, however, the right to bathe and swim topless has been taken seriously: in Göttingen, Germany, public swimming pools have recently allowed people of all genders to bathe topless. The reform aims to improve equality between the sexes, recalling that men and women have the right to enjoy leisure in the same way, namely bare-chested.
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Strictly speaking, there is no Belgian law that prohibits being topless. However, article 385 of the penal code reads that “anyone who has publicly outraged morals by actions which offend modesty will be punished by imprisonment from eight days to one year and a fine of €26 to €500."
In reality, however, it depends on the discretion of local authorities. In the coastal municipality of Knokke-Heist, for instance, the ban on walking around bare-chested – for men as well as women – in the city is now included in the municipal police regulations.
In Belgian public swimming pools, women are not allowed to swim topless, but bare breasts are tolerated on the beach.
Censored nipples
Female nipples are sexualised to the point that it is not only illegal to walk around topless in public, but also for women to post them on social media platforms.
Instagram’s guideline for nudity, for example, states: “We know that there are times when people might want to share nude images that are artistic or creative in nature, but for a variety of reasons, we do not allow nudity on Instagram.”
In protest, artists and activists of all genders have united in the fight to stop censoring women's nipples. The Instagram account @Genderless_Nipples with more than 70,000 followers posts pictures of nipples without disclosing whether they are male or female, highlighting how ludicrous the censoring of female nipples is.
Make a difference
For all these reasons, the organisers of the Go Topless Day are encouraging anyone to participate in such actions, whether that is protesting or speaking about the topic. "Defending women’s right to go topless is in everyone’s hands. So do not be afraid to stand up for gender equality by demonstrating topless on World Day this 21 August and every other day of the year," the organisers stated.
Men, too, have protested by wearing bikini tops covering their nipples to point out the hypocrisy of banning female nipples, for example. "Gender equality has evolved in many areas in our society. But equal bodily rights still lag behind in our 21st-century democracies. You can make a difference!"
