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Evolution has seen the human race advancing from the Stone Age. We’ve gone from a time when women were not allowed entry into any bar unless chaperoned by a man, to modern day when women now have their own dedicated bars, with no access to men.
But, as a species (and, more importantly, as a country) are we truly ready for such establishments?
During Women’s Month in August, one of the top alcoholic beverage producers unveiled Mzansi’s first women-only pop-up bar in a bid to offer women a safe space to unwind and let their hair down without male scrutiny.
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The response from some members of the South African public were rather unsavoury. But the human psyche has been known to be resistant to change and hostile towards the unknown.
The prevalent question on social media was: “Who is going to buy them drinks?” This is an extremely dangerous question in a country where club culture generally perpetuates the expectation that buying a woman drinks deems her sexually indebted to you.
The knowledge that a lot of men have a sexual bartering approach to purchasing drinks for women seems to not scare some women.
It is unclear whether this is coming from a place of willingness to exchange bodily fluids with their drinks sponsors or whether these women have an imagined sense of safety. Or is society so flawed that we have normalised this exchange, thereby creating a spoilt adult woman who will gamble with her wellbeing in exchange for a bit of intoxication?
While bars are traditionally designed for alcohol consumption, South Africa would do well to learn from some of the countries that have produced successful women-only versions.
After a seven-year run, the Grace Belgravia in London had to permanently hang up the beer caps in 2019 – due to fears related to Brexit – but, during its heyday, it had been more than just a bar. The venue was more of a wellness centre for women, fully packaged with a spa and a gym.
With our gender-based violence and homicide stats as high as they are, a place like Verity in Toronto, Canada, might be precisely what South African women need, as it speaks to liberation, success and sisterhood.
This bar boasts meeting rooms, fitness areas, working spaces and spa facilities. Its mandate is to create a sisterhood of professionally diverse women in a space that enables them to network and connect.
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The examples above bring the conversation back to location and questions related to Brutal Fruit Spritzer’s choice of Soweto as a home for #SheBeen. While eavesdropping on ladies conversing at the launch of #SheBeen, I came to learn that safety was a major concern for some of the women who visited the pop-up. Some women even stated that Soweto was not a place where they would like to find themselves, particularly at night.
The tourism industry has made some amazing strides in turning Soweto into a livable, fun and safe area. However, public opinion seems to be taking quite a bit of time to be swayed, with some women at the launch saying that a bar of this stature does not belong in Soweto.
A lot of the ladies who were invited to the #SheBeen launch also mentioned that their areas of residence were not in close proximity to the venue and, as much as they did like the idea of a women-only hang-out, they would not necessarily want to travel that far.
Women-only bars date back to the US of the 1800s, but today it appears that European countries are the industry leaders, as a lot of such bars are situated on that continent. Most interesting is the Women’s International Club of Paris (Le WIC de Paris).
Mzansi is arguably Africa’s largest melting pot. An undertaking of this nature would be perfectly positioned in our country, as native South Africans are just as diverse themselves.
Noting how this business seems to be enjoying more success in Europe and the US than anywhere else in the world prompts questions about socioeconomic empowerment. Is it possible that women from developing countries have not yet reached a level of liberation where they are able to appreciate these bars for what they are: spaces where they can enjoy a type of freedom that is only mythical in the boardroom and in broader society?
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Should any business ever fully venture into this, enhancing it with more innovative activities for women as opposed to centring it on alcohol, would not be the worst idea.
Brutal Fruit Spritzer was contacted for comment but declined.
