As the argument over the French burkini ban rages, one Charedi woman has described it as “the best commercial ever for modest swimwear”.

Yardena G, a Paris-born mother of nine who now lives in Jerusalem, owns Sea Secret, a swimsuit label for religious women.

She said the burkini ban would boost her business “in a big way”. There are currently an estimated 30 French municipalities that have banned women from wearing the full-body swimsuits.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls recently described the ban as a reaction to “a political project … to perpetuate female servitude”, however many people – both in and outside France – view it as an infringement on women’s personal rights and as anti-Muslim discrimination.

Yardena said that she started her company “to empower women” who wanted to dress modestly for religious reasons. Her main customer base is made up of Orthodox Jewish and Muslim women; Christian women account for a third of Sea Secret’s sales.

“It’s like someone turned the world on its head in France,” she said. “Instead of promoting modesty and good measures like leaders and figures of authority ought to, they’re telling women to take it off.

“I don’t understand what’s happened, but I do know that as a person who keeps modest clothing, such measures will do nothing to discourage other women like me.”