If you are not new to naturism, you will be familiar with the gender imbalance that pervades the lifestyle. Women can’t seem to find their way into this naturalness as easily as our male counterparts do. British Naturism reports a 30% female representation amongst its membership, and that figure goes down to 22% in Ireland. Other countries appear to mirror this situation.
But what are the causes for this global tendency? Perchance is naturism less beneficial for women? Are body confidence and self-acceptance not commendable personal goals in a society painfully obsessed with physical appearance? Do women have more mental battles to fight before feeling ready to liberate themselves from clothes and prejudices? Does the naturist world lack female role models?
For the fourth year in a row, Irish Naturist Association is proposing June as the Women-in-Naturism month. Due to the pandemic situation this time we have no in-person activities we can offer free entry to, so we came up with a new idea: we would like to reward female naturists with free INA membership for the remainder of 2020 and 2021 in exchange for a discreet nude pic that will be used to create a public video at our YouTube channel. Just send us an email to info@irishnaturism.org
Further to this special promo for women (whose partners will be included in the memberships for free!), we are devoting all our online INTERNATIONAL TALKS on Thursdays (7.30pm to 8.30pm Irish Time GMT+1) to prominent female naturist leaders or activists.
Our event coordinator Leticia will interview British women on the 4th of June: British Naturism Event Organiser Pamela Fraser, British Naturism Women-in-Naturism Coordinator Donna Price, Max’s Garden Naturist Retreat Manager Fiona Discombe, H&E Naturist Magazin Journalist Theresa O’Shea.
The following week we will hear all about female naturism in Brazil, where naturism is growing in popularity.
On the 18th June we will be enlightened about naturist beaches and attitudes in Croatia, Slovenija, Serbia and Hungary.
We will finish the series with an insight into Scandinavia, with activists from Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Finally, I would like to encourage our female readers to send us their thoughts or stories, I will be very happy to publish them here in our INA blog.
Leticia Medina – Irish Naturist Association – info@irishnaturism.org
Hi, while on holiday I was encouraged to go nude at the beach by my ex boyfriend, I couldn’t see the attraction of it myself but I gave it a go. I was nervous at first because I had always associated nudity with sex, I soon discovered that this wasn’t the case. I went topless first and that was fine, taking my bottoms off was terrifying. We were on a nudist beach but there was only a handful of people on there, as I took my bikini bottoms off I imagined everyone would all look round at the same time to see me standing there in my naked glory, it didn’t happen, in fact no one noticed. I started to feel more confidence and ventured into the sea, the experience of swimming nude was elating, I felt freedom and the feeling of swimming naked I find hard to describe but I loved it. and still do.
The first time chatting to other nudists I thought would be strange but it wasn’t, I thought I’d be looking at everyone’s bits and they would be checking mine out but it wasn’t the case, it felt natural and I know it’s a cliche but you soon forget you are naked and everyone else is too.
I’m now at a stage where I would like to expand my nudist experiences, I have been naked on a few beaches in the UK, only one which was an actual dedicated nudist beach, the other were just quiet public beaches with very few people on them, no one confronted me and asked me to wear a swimming costume but that might have been the fact I was about 100 meters away from the nearest person.
With the lockdown i’m planning a trip to Ireland and hopefully experience naturism there, I would like to go to beaches where nudity is permitted or ones where there’s few people around, I would also like to experience and other activities and meet fellow nudists, all help in achieving these goal would be appreciated.
I have a few photos of me enjoying naturism which I’m happy to send to be included in your video?
Thanks for your lovely story! And yes, send us your pictures to info@irishnaturism.org, we will be happy to give your free membership, we have a few overseas members too.
Looking forward to it!
Leticia