Chinese females increasingly preferring ‘women-only’ places to avoid male gaze, discrimination
Representational photo: Chinese women
Women in China are increasingly preferring visiting and chilling out at ‘women-only’ spaces as they grow tired of male gazes, feeling unsafe and being overlooked at most public places.
The trend, spreading like wildfire, stands in stark contrast to the perceived normal in Chinese society where men dominate elite clubs and where womenrepresentation in influential groups is minimal.
Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP) quoted Zhang Ying, a gym junkie, as saying that she started her all-women gym in 2022 when she noted that none of the gyms in Shenzhen catered to the needs of women.
“Most of the gym members are men. If you have a good body and you walk into a gym surrounded by men, it’s quite awkward,” she said.
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“You can’t have this level of intimacy if your trainer is a man,” Yingadded.
Trend visible in other cities too
The trend is visible in other cities too. Women-only book clubs, hostels, bars and gyms are cropping up, indicating how females are now growing more concerned about their well-being in public places.
These women-only areas advertise themselves as offering “tolerance, comfort, warmth”, and a place where “girls help girls” in a “safe space to express your feelings”, a concept that unisex places are totally strangers to.
That’s how a women-only hostel called Cheer was founded in 2023 following a strong demand by Xiaoli and Yanzi.
Why the trend is going through the roof?
Experts believe women want to protect their own feelings as they step out in a culture where men’s preferences are widely taken care of.
“Women are becoming more willing to protect their own feelings in a culture where men traditionally are the opinion leaders,” Pei Yuxin, a sociology professor at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, was quoted as saying by SCMP.
“They could play ball together, drink together or sing karaoke together. But now women are starting to have it too,” he adds.
(With inputs from agencies)