"After centuries of discrimination against women, to achieve equality we need gender-segregated spaces where there is safety, empathy, and trust so that what we experience, can emerge freely."
"For the ladies it's comfortable. There is respect. We feel at home. We are contacted and heart to heart. This atmosphere comes from the people who work at espacefemmes."
"In my country traditionally women are oppressed. When I'm only among women I can speak freely."
"For me, non-mixed gender is a precious, serene and supportive time and space where each person can practice taking the place she wants to take in the world."
"I am very happy about the espacefemmes course. For many reasons because here there is no racism. Here there is a lot of respect for everyone, here there is a lot of respect for nationalities. It's always positive, they always wait for us with a smile. I gave my integration to espacefemmes. I work with espacefemmes. It's not enough to tell you this in a few words, you deserve much more. I thank you for all the help you gave me when I didn't understand. I will be grateful for the rest of my life. Thank you for existing. Keep going you are the best. Respect."
"Same-sex encounters for me are really a choice of life and friendship. And it is also a natural solidarity between women facing the vicissitudes of life. It is also complicity and freedom of speech and where there is no competition."
"Between women there is harmony, we understand each other without explaining ourselves... I hope it makes sense even in French, I thought it in Italian..."
"Non-mixed gender allows women regardless of their background and origin to feel confident and express themselves freely in a caring and supportive environment."
"Same-sex encounters are a space to dare authenticity and the expression of one's full potential."
"Espacefemmes as a single-sex space allows me to share with other women about our experiences as women in society and makes me recognize the inequalities we experience on a daily basis."
"When I'm women-only, I feel a special connection and sisterhood. The conversation opens up and I have wonderful discoveries and unique sharing."
"As a trainer, I consider myself a 'ferryman' with the privilege of accompanying my participants in a 'bubble' where freedom of speech, complicity and sharing of experiences between women circulate without hindrance."
"Here, I learned French better with other women and I am sure I will be able to speak French very well next year."
"Each woman must be able to choose her place in society and not have it imposed on her. These places allow women to regain their self-confidence in a caring environment where they can express themselves freely, as equals, get information without being judged or put in their place, and thus find the confidence to do so outside of this non-mixed environment.
"In my opinion, the principle of non-mixed gender promotes women's autonomy: when women have the opportunity to share their opinions or life experiences with peers, they are linguistically, socially and emotionally affirmed."
"In theory, non-mixing is a tool of feminist activism used to break away from gender-based oppressions. In practice, it is an experience that is difficult to describe in words alone... It is - among other things - the possibility of a space of intimacy and complicity where one feels comfortable. A place where one can grow and dare to do, say or simply be. In doing this project I was able to discover the impact that a place like this can have on women, and it's really powerful."
"Non-mixity allows me to experiment a way of working, of living human relationships without the variable "gender", and especially, "hierarchical gender". It is both a field of experimentation and a revelation, a contrario, of the (dys-)functioning of our sexist society."