The Grand Council of Geneva has enacted a ban on burkinis and other full-body swimsuits in public swimming pools, introducing a dress code that restricts swimwear to knee-length and requires uncovered arms.
The motion, proposed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), passed with 53 votes. 38 left-wing deputies opposed the motion, while six deputies abstained.
Alia Chaker Mangeat of the centre-right Die Mitte party said: “If the abolition of the burkini is considered a patriarchal act, the question arises as to what the burkini itself means,” emphasizing that public spaces should promote emancipation. By contrast, Socialist MP Caroline Renold criticized the move as “xenophobic manipulation” and the stigmatization of minorities.
Similar measures were introduced last year in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg, where pools restricted bulky swimwear to improve water hygiene. Local Greens argued the law unfairly targets Muslim women wearing burkinis for religious reasons.
Internationally, such bans have faced legal challenges. In France, municipal burkini bans at beaches were overturned by the highest administrative court.
