RFI is not responsible for the content of external websites. Once widespread in France, topless sunbathing is going out of fashion, a survey has shown, with fears about harassment, body image and health seen as prompting a trend to cover up more at the beach. Fewer than one in five Frenchwomen under 50 said they sported a "monokini", compared to 28 percent a decade ago and 43 percent in , according to the survey by French pollster Ifop published Tuesday. Young women aged 18 to 25 said harassment, criticism of their bodies and being ogled by men were their biggest barriers to going topless. And while France may be the country of liberty, equality and fraternity, Frenchwomen are more shy than their European neighbours about stripping off at the beach, compared to Spaniards 48 per cent and Germans But marketing and social media, rather than modesty, are to blame for the decline, said Camille Froidevaux-Metterie, political science professor at Reims university and author of French-language book "Women's Bodies, the Battle of Intimacy". They participate in this commercial system which creates standards to prevent women liking their bodies". And while social movements can encourage body positivity, we "still have a long way to go", she said. The poll for French site VieHealthy.
So what are the laws affecting public nudity?
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Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first. Two East Vancouver women say they have become the target of harassment after sunbathing topless in their backyard. When the weather improved in April, they also began sunbathing — sometimes topless. The yard is fenced, and the duo says their landlord has no problem with their activities. Not long afterward, a second letter arrived. This one had photos of Apedaile and listed their address.
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Topless sunbathing is becoming less popular among women in France — with researchers arguing this is the result of the MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault. The number of women who regularly sunbathe topless has fallen sharply in the past three years from 29 to 19 per cent, according to a survey of 5, women by the French Institute for Public Opinion. Young women aged 18 to 25 said harassment, criticism of their bodies and men ogling them were their biggest obstacles to baring their bodies. Researchers argued the dwindling popularity of the practice — French women used to be known for doing so on Riviera beaches — also stems from the fear of being photographed and the image being disseminated on social media. Mr Kraus, who oversaw the survey, also cited concerns over skin cancer in the wake of public health campaigns raising awareness around the risks of overexposure to the sun as another potential reason. In January, a report found more than a million French women were forced to endure sexist insults in with only four convictions for breaches of sexual harassment laws.
By Rachael Bunyan For Mailonline. The number of French women sunbathing topless has a hit a year low amid fears they could be secretly photographed and their image posted on social media. A new poll found that only a fifth of women would go topless on the beach in France , with nearly 50 per cent pointing to a fear of being harassed or attacked by men as the reason why they would now wear a bikini top. Topless sunbathing has become less popular in recent years, with only 19 per cent of women saying they do, compared to 34 per cent in and 40 per cent in The survey by pollster Ifop showed that French women are becoming increasingly cautious of going topless due to health concerns, sexual harassment fears and safety reasons, reports Le Parisien. The poll, published to mark World Topless Day on Thursday, found that 46 per cent of French women said they did not go topless because they were worried about being covertly photographed and the photo then being posted on social media.
