The city pool in Tetovo has reopened for the summer season - and this time with something that deserves attention: dedicated slots for women and girls, on Wednesdays and Saturdays until noon.

The pool runs Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 16:30, and on weekends from 9 to 21. According to Muhamed Avziu, head of the Sports Department at the Municipality of Tetovo, attendance is rising, especially at weekends - children come with their parents, older residents, and also people whose doctor has recommended swimming because of joint problems. The municipality is also announcing two new pools under construction, at the "Kiril i Metodij" and "Naim Frashëri" secondary schools.

A pool is not just a summer cool-off. It's a small test of how much a town really thinks about people's everyday lives. Dedicated slots for women and girls are no small thing - for part of the community, they are the difference between a pool being accessible or only theoretically there.

When local government thinks about who actually uses public space, and not just how it looks on paper, that's when public investment becomes public benefit. Tetovo, this time, seems to have thought about it. The question for other towns is simple - why isn't the pool here also for those who, without a dedicated slot, wouldn't come at all?