Male-free spaces in China offer women havens from harassment and stress, but critics claim single-gender communities foster antagonism
Laughter erupts over a board game and coffee at a rural cottage in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang, one of a growing number of women-only co-living spaces far from social pressures and male judgment.
Women come to share mutual support and “talk freely about intimate stuff”, while others seek companionship or refuge from harassment, participants said after making steamed buns in a bright kitchen overlooking the mountains.
“An all-women environment makes me feel safe,” said Zhang Wenjing, 43. “Among women, we talk more easily about certain things.”
Chen Fangyan, 28, felt less self-conscious without men around. “Not being forced to wear a bra is already a kind of freedom.”
