Do woman only spaces exist any more?

[Gingerkittykat]

There has been a club called Andy's men's club opened in my town, with 40 men turning up to the first meeting. There have been men's sheds opening, a dads Saturday group and walking football.

I don't see any similar spaces provided for women, it seems that maybe a decade ago there were loads but not any more. There is one small feminist group in my region but only around half a dozen regular attendees and meetings are a day I am at work.

I would like to look into setting up some kind of woman only group, but no idea what kind of activities or chat women would want.

Does anyone have any ideas?

I think you will find a lot of the groups that in theory admit transwomen now don't actually have any in practice.
Plus all the things which are theoretically mixed but don't happen to have any men. I go to a craft group like that. We occasionally get mansplained by annoying men who wander into the cafe where we meet but none have actually tried to join!

A new WI has opened in my village, there are dozens of "knit and natter" type groups in my town.
In theory they probably admit transwomen, and I bet the man's clubs in theory admit transmen.
We also have NCT groups which probably aren't women only, but in practice are.
There are women only zumba groups in our village hall, and lots of other things like this - gym sessions, etc.

Someone I know has opened a red shed for women. Used for yoga and massage treatments and meetings etc. Female only though she doesn't go overboard advertising it as thus so not to draw too
Much attention.

I alse recently learned there's female masonry lodges.

I would like to look into setting up some kind of woman only group, but no idea what kind of activities or chat women would want

Groups tend to be set up around a shared passion or hobby. It is the passion or hobby that comes first, not the woman only nature of it.
What are your passions and hobbies?

The red shed sounds like my type of thing.

To be honest I like the idea of a mens shed doing practical activities and just hanging out.

I went to a couple of local craft groups but found them too middle class and middle aged for my liking and I just didn't fit in. The local council has removed all single sex exercise classes and swim sessions. I welcomed the almost exclusive female spaces organised around pregnancy and caring for young children but past that stage in my life now.

I've got some links to a community organisation who run some groups so will discuss with someone there and see what they think. It may that nobody else feels the need for such a space.

I love my female-only gym (it’s a separate area with a security code at my local leisure centre). There are a few women only classes and swim sessions throughout the week.

It’s a great place to meet up with a wide variety of women, a lot of British socialising/political organising takes place in licensed venues, which can be off putting.

Most of the female groups I participate in aren't officially female. I don't mind this necessarily, it does't seem to be a problem,, I suppose because there is enough time for women to get together overall.
That would include some child/education related groups, a group I belong to which takes care of snacks at meetings, a gardening group, and some exercise groups.
There are a few female-only groups I know of locally, many of them are somewhat like the WI and are mainly about some kind of public service.

I think if you want to start a group for women, it would be useful to think about what sort of age or type f person you would like to attract. If you meet in the day for example you will tend not to get women who work, they may be older women mainly. If you want women with kids you have to consider childcare needs. Do you want a broad political or social spectrum, or fairly narrow?