Women in London protested for Free the Nipple on Sunday

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Women in London protested for Free the Nipple on Sunday

‘It was so liberating’

Last weekend, women from across the city met up at The Barbican to protest for Free The Nipple in London.

The women met up, ditched their bras and put black tape over their nipples to be photographed in the streets.

The campaign was set up by Ele Frankpitt and Macdara Duncan. Ele told Babe: “We wanted it to promote gender equality throughout the city. Phira London, our unisex brand, intends to raise awareness of inequality through social media and campaigns. We believe we are all equals, we would like to encourage equality for both men and women.

“All the girls showed so much energy, the feeling of just wearing tape was so liberating and exhilarating. It was fascinating to see how enthusiastic the girls were, we also had a few passers by join on the day – that was definitely a highlight. It really emphasized how many women feel passionately about the subject.”

They believe that in light of recent events, Free the Nipple is more needed now than ever: “The rise of social media has increased awareness of gender inequality, but still it is apparent in our everyday lives. London, for example has a far larger pay gap than anywhere else in the UK. After the 2008 crash women in London were heavily affected, this meant increased unemployment, especially in the public sector.

“It was clear that economic shock has a big impact on women in the labor market. We need to ensure women are protected throughout Brexit. The European Union protects equal pay for equal value, the guarantee of maternity and fraternity leave and the prohibition on the discrimination on grounds of sex. We need to promote gender equality as the UK will no longer have EU funding to help us, for example through ‘The Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality’.”