Toppless women

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Topfreedom is a cultural and political movement seeking changes in laws to allow women to be topless in public places where men are permitted to be barechested , as a form of gender equality. Specifically, the movement seeks the repeal or overturning of laws which restrict a woman's right not to have her chest covered at all times in public. In addition, topfreedom advocates seek allowing nursing mothers to openly breastfeed in public. Many societies [ which? In many jurisdictions [ which? Several countries in Europe have decriminalised non-sexual toplessness.

Toplessness refers to the state in which a woman's breasts , including her areola and nipples , are exposed, especially in a public place or in a visual medium. The male equivalent is barechestedness , also commonly called shirtlessness. Exposed breasts were and are normal in many indigenous societies. However, developed countries have social norms around female modesty , often enforced by legal statutes , that require women to cover their breasts in public. In many jurisdictions, women who expose their breasts can be prosecuted for indecent exposure , although public breastfeeding is often exempted from public indecency laws.