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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Are women's only swim sessions in council pools no longer a thing ?

52 replies

habibihabibi · 27/09/2026 07:24

Arrived back in the UK after 20 years living abroad.
Before I moved I'd swim regularly at women's only sessions ( London).
My local pool had day and evening slots. I went at least three times a week.
When I was barely a teen I was abused by a male swimming coach and rather than give up on the sport I loved , it felt so much safer to swim without men present.
I went often with a friend who reason was faith driven ( I taught her to swim ) .
Now I'm in Edinburgh and there is only one women's only sessions and it's on the other side of the city , once a week for an hour.
Is this a countrywide shift ?
If anything it feels like women need more of their own spaces and from what I have researched Scotland did have more sessions historically.

OP posts:
DameOutrage · 28/09/2026 23:41

My local pool has a number of women only sessions, but mostly in the small pool. There's a lane swim for women only once a week which I often go to. The standing around people congregate in the slow lane which is fine by me.

No trans people attend. They prefer to go to the trans and gender non conforming swimming twice a week, which is well attended.

CallmePaul · 29/09/2026 00:40

None at my local pool. Southern England.

My pool is a bit of a shambles anyway, one of the Better group. Had no swim for all sessions in a hot half term. Just fitness swims, fine for me. Not for my small child. Only for 12 & over & confident lane swimmers. Only had appropriate sessions at the wk end. Ridiculous!

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