Barcelona club under fire for €100 offer to women without underwear

The management of the Bailódromo Caña Dulce, a club in Barcelona’s La Sagrera district has dismissed criticism of their policy, saying: “If people don’t talk about you, you don’t exist. This is just a bit of fun in a very family-oriented place where everybody knows everybody else.”

“It all started one night when a girl who was getting married decided to do a striptease, and I had this idea to advertise the club,” explains one of the club’s promoters. He adds that the offer, which has been limited to Saturday nights this month, has so far only been taken up by two women: “One of them asked her husband’s permission, hitched up her skirt and when we saw that she had no underwear on, we gave her €100.”

The management at the club says its mainly Latino clientele has not complained about its initiative, adding that as a result of the media coverage it has received some 20 phone calls from people to confirm that the offer will be running this Saturday.

The women’s legal group that has called for the boycott, Dones Juristes, set up a website in December to encourage the public to report sexist advertising, and says it will be looking into whether it can have the Bailódromo Caña Dulce’s advertisement removed, as well as calling for a boycott of the club.

Nudity is normal, we see it on the television all the time Bailódromo Caña Dulce

“This is one of the worst cases we have seen; the message insults and humiliates women,” says the organization’s Marisa Fernández.

She says since Dones Juristes set up the website it has received many complaints, but that most companies deny accusations of sexism.

The management of Caña Dulce said it didn’t intend to offend anybody, playing down the matter, and saying: “Nudity is normal, we see it on the television all the time.”

English version by Nick Lyne.