Spain Launches Body Positivity Campaign

If you were looking for more of a reason to take a trip to one of Spain’s beautiful beaches, we’ve got another one for you right here. Earlier this week the Equality Ministry of the Government of Spain launched a campaign promoting body positivity, featuring five women of different body types on a beach together with the slogan “Summer is ours, too,” (El verano tambien es nuestro). 

In a tweet, Equality Minister Irene Montero said, “All bodies are valid and we have the right to enjoy life as we are, without guilt or shame.” “All bodies are beach bodies,” tweeted Social Services Minister Ione Belarra.

While the initiative was widely heralded, it faced criticism from one model who spoke out alleging that the campaign had used her image without her permission. British model and influencer Nyome Nicholas-Williams said, “My image is being used by the Spanish government in a campaign but they’ve not asked to use my image or likeness! Great idea but poor execution!,” Nicholas-Williams wrote on Instagram.

Nicholas-Williams, who is known on IG as Curvy Nyome, told Metro.co.uk, “‘I didn’t have any control over how my body was being used in the image, so I was really sad initially. Then, I felt really angry.”

The artist behind the campaign, Arte Mapache, has apologized to the models involved, writing on Twitter that the illustrator mistakenly thought that the image was unlicensed and free to use. Despite this unfortunate misuse of likeness, we applaud the campaign’s body-positive message.