Muirfield golf club in Scotland has lost the right to host the Open Championship after members voted against admitting women. The decision has sparked debate about the justification for male-only spaces, especially when compared to women-only facilities like gyms and swimming sessions.
In a recent opinion piece, author Laura Bates argued that the two are not comparable. She stated that women-only spaces exist primarily to provide a safe environment free from sexual harassment and assault, not as a privilege. Bates cited her own experience of being ogled at a swimming pool, and noted that the Everyday Sexism Project has collected nearly 1,000 testimonies of sexism at gyms and over 500 related to swimming pools.
By contrast, male-only clubs such as Muirfield are seen as reinforcing male privilege in business and politics. Bates pointed out that the high cost of a round at Muirfield (£220) indicates the elite nature of its membership, where informal deals and networking can occur away from women.
The article concluded that while both types of single-sex spaces exist due to male privilege, the motivations differ. Women-only spaces are a response to harassment, whereas many male-only clubs aim to maintain exclusion and hierarchy.
