A protest march in central Auckland today to 'Free the Nipple' wants to make it clear that it's not all about sex.

Campaigners are walking the length of Auckland's Queen Street to demand equal rights for all genders.

They want women's naked nipples - and bodies - to be just as accepted as men's.

Andrew Rose, spokesperson for Free the Nipple Auckland, said men have marched the same marches throughout history and won - now it's time for women.

Rose said the fact a man can walk around with a bare chest and women can't is demoralising to women.

"It's the opposite for women, if they put a photo of themselves up on Facebook it's taken down and they're told that their body is offensive to other people."

He said whenever a women's breast is exposed in society it's in a sexual way - a strip club, or watching a sex scene.

The group want to change the way the female body is presented to men because there's more to women than sex.

He added there are many other things they could be protesting about but unequal gender expectations underpin a lot of New Zealand's problems.

"Maybe it seems like a slightly trivial movement on the surface but it's well-known New Zealand has a huge domestic violence problem, and a problem with sexual assaults as well."

The march will return to Albert Park later today.

The Auckland group is part of a global campaign sparked by a film released in 2014 bearing the same name which has received celebrity support from the likes of singers Miley Cyrus and Rihanna.