To me, gender specific groups designed to cater for the differing needs and interests are vital. After all, are men REALLY going to relish sitting through talks such as "Sweats & Flushes: Coping with the heat of menopause"? Or how about "Make-up tips for girls – War paint for success in the battlefield of business"? May be "Goddess Power – maintaining your femininity in a male-dominated world."? Or perhaps something more intimate can be put on the menu like dealing with "down-there" issues? Hmm – I think not! Not unless a man wants to infiltrate behind enemy lines to assess the competition. Perhaps he IS a man of the modern world and wants to support his wife by understanding more about her needs. I can’t really see that many men signing up to girly sessions. And of course there is the other issue that women DON’T always want men around.
Perhaps not surprisingly there are many who do not see the need of distinguishing between men and women as many of us see us as equals in mind and spirit but just with slightly differing body parts. For the most part I have to agree – women can be just as enterprising as men and equally there are plenty of men out there who enjoy the gentler feminine aspects of life. There is no questioning people’s capabilities – it is really a case of understanding that different people have different needs.
What I do find surprising is the group of people – both men and women – who are very anti any form of gender specific activities. We can all surmise the reasons why and I am sure that this is a topic that will always be up for debate. Ultimately it is about personal choice. There are many groups in our local environs that cater for a variety of interests – and we join the ones that are the most important for us at that particular time in our life. For us MONEW is unique and it is not only defined by the female dominated membership but also the energy of those who get involved by attending the events and/or managing our activities.
The question is – what do you think? How valuable do you think groups like MONEW are to our part of the world? Perhaps you can come along to our AGM and see for yourself the value that we bring. If you want to attend please get in touch with me.
Networks are emerging everywhere proving their worth. Online communities are creating international networks connecting enterprising people worldwide. MONEW has just made just such an enterprising connection with Women Unlimited who have added links to MONEW on every page of their website. Take a peak at their site you might find something inspiring – http://www.women-unlimited.co.uk A typical example of women supporting women! Hoorah for that at least!
