When we had women-only spaces: A nostalgia thread

In Africa, I’m not sure where.

I read about a women’s village thst had been set up after women had had enough of being abused by men. Having their own village and their own space allowed them to grow strong and healthy.

I used to read spare rib, a schoolfriend gave me her copy when we were 14, and it was eye opening.

Greenham Common
Rape Crisis - fund raising, setting up the centre, training ourselves and watching the service grow
Silver Moon
Stonewall lesbian mother's group [irony alert]

Anyone remember Outwrite? Women's newspaper produced by a women's collective in the 1980s?

I lived in the Middle East for a number of years and while I had a lot of conflicting feelings about that, one thing that I deeply miss is my women only gym. It was unutterably fabulous to be in a space dedicated only to women’s bodies. No dude bros, no grunting troglodytes, no selfish blokes hogging the equipment, no getting side eyed or ogled. I learnt to lift proper weights from a Russian and an Emirati. It was the only place where I genuinely connected with local women.

The abaya and shaila hanging section in the changing rooms always tickled me, too .

Happy days.

Sad that it only took a few posts for someone to shoehorn men in, though.

Vanilla Bar Manchester (feels like it was only a couple of years ago but actually was circa 2004). It was a women only bar popular with lesbians and biwomen, the traditional non penis owning ones. I also worked supporting victims of sexual violence. The victims were all women and the staff were all women. Not describing any more as it would ID too much. Tough but amazing experience that changed me forever.

Feb 2019 Guardian
'We are now free': Yazidis fleeing Isis start over in female-only commune'
(extract)
In Jinwar, north-eastern Syria, a pioneering group of women are rebuilding their lives away from the constraints of patriarchy

Berivan runs over to join in the dancing, her traditional gold dress catching the winter sunlight. The 15-year-old Yazidi clasps hands with her best friend and stands among the line of women stamping their feet to a Kurdish pop song.

Berivan and her mother are from Sinjar in Iraq, the Yazidi homeland, but like thousands of other Yazidis they were kidnapped by Islamic State in 2014 when the group stormed across the border from Syria. (continues)

"Jinwar is a female-only community, set up by the women of the local Kurdish-run administration to create a space where women can live “free of the constraints of the oppressive power structures of patriarchy and capitalism”. It opened in November and 12 of its 30 adobe brick houses are home to Kurdish, Yazidi and Arab families.

The women built their own houses, bake their own bread and tend to the livestock and farmland, cooking and eating together. On Saturday, people from the neighbouring villages have been invited to a graduation celebration for a group of local women who had attended a course on natural medicines at Jinwar’s education centre." (continues)
www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/25/yazidis-isis-female-only-commune-jinwar-syria

I remember going into the sexual health clinic that was female only. It was a really nice experience with ladies cooing over the children/babies. It felt a lot more relaxed with no men there.

Interesting to see how the experiences of some males are brought/forced in so quickly even to women sharing nostalgia for womens' space space.

Having had gyny cancer, the groups whether support, campaigning or treatment are by definition single sex. I spent a few years in the midst of many women-only places after I was diagnosed.
The quality of the strengths, compassion and solidarity amongst women is sex-specific and what was created within those groups really powerful.
(Very occasonally spaces were disrupted by maleness. Patterns which would be recognisable to many women here)

”Oh and every single one of them was inclusive to trans women. Every single one.”

Presumably back then they were mostly transsexuals, trying to quietly get on with their lives and not openly bepenised and bearded people insisting they’re biological women and if we don’t agree we must be educated.

Another change to be regretted perhaps?

It’s a shame the bars and spaces don’t exist any more

I don't lament them at all.
It seems like there were far more men only spaces e.g. bars, golf clubs, than women only places, and most of these have been dismantled now.
Apart from London "clubs" and some golf clubs, all the pubs that were men only have now long gone, and good riddance.

I remember when Silver Mood could have a lesbian section, and a nice little polite notice telling men that this lesbian section wasn't for them, and could they go away to another part of the shop, please, and the shop - amazingly - wasn't burnt down in protest by a bunch of woke bros yelling Die Cis Scum.

Happy days.

It’s a shame the bars and spaces don’t exist any more (although GTW is still there) but every single one of them failed for the same reason, women don’t spend money in the same way men do.

Really? Thats not the reason women only services round here are mixed sex these days. Its men bullying their way in basically, because god forbid women have any space away from men, they must be planning witchy things behind closed doors or having a fantastic time so men must be able to come in!

Actually, I still manage to go to a womans only swim. And have been assured it will remain women only also, so am content for th near future anyway. I wish more women could get that assurance, or that the service existed in their areas to begin with, should they chose for whatever reason, to not want to be around males.

Greenham
Wild Court, the GLC Women's Centre in Holborn .
A bunch of women's nights carved out of other spaces, and the odd Lesbian Disco (when disco was a thing).
The Fridge in Brixton had lesbian nights.

If I had a time travel machine I'd go to Gateways.

In Budapest with my Mum about 15 years ago went to a spa filled with lots of naked Hungarian women and we were naked too. It was very liberating and felt so safe.

YY
Turkish baths, Russian Banyas, Morroccan Hammans.... very special powerful experiences.

It’s a shame the bars and spaces don’t exist any more (although GTW is still there) but every single one of them failed for the same reason, women don’t spend money in the same way men do.

Oh and every single one of them was inclusive to trans women. Every single one.

TBF, I don't think I'd spend much money in a space that advertised itself as women only and then wasn't.

I remember Silver Moon! I used to spend hours in there when I first moved to London. I have a pair of silver sheila-na-gig earrings I think I got from there. I haven't worn earrings for years but I'm tempted to stick them in the silver dip then see if my piercings still work.

I went to Greenham with my mum for the embrace the base demo when I was about 13. I think that was my first experience of positive women's space. It was magical and energising. I loved all the stuff the women had woven into the fence. Proper witchcraft

The women's tent in the greenfields at Glastonbury festival. I had gone with my abusive boyfriend and our 5 week old son. Within hours of arriving the boyfriend had hooked up with an ex and basically moved her into our camp so I decamped to the women's tent and spent most of the festival breastfeeding, laughing and crying with an amazing assortment of women.

We need to rebuild women's spaces. We can do it. The will is there - look how quickly our women's events are sold out. We can fudraise - we just raised £60K+ in 3 days. We need the wisdom and expertise of the women who built these spaces last time round but it's totally do-able.

In Budapest with my Mum about 15 years ago went to a spa filled with lots of naked Hungarian women and we were naked too. It was very liberating and felt so safe.

'Embrace the base', Greenham ,12/12/1982

'Old and strong
She goes on and on
You can't kill the spirit
She is like a mountain'

Not a woman only space, so apologies for the cul de sac but a celebration of womanhood in the late 1990s.

At 1 min 30

Beth Gibbons, Porthishead, "give me a reason to be...a woman"

Crowd of adult human females cheer.

Hate speech now, I guess?

The Women's Centre was women only, we used to use the meeting rooms to put out a feminist fanzine, and plot against Clause 28.
There was a women only nightclub above a pub one night a week, called Mickeys. It was the only place I've ever danced. I was spat on by 2 men when I left one night.

Greenham Common