When McGill University law student Soumia Allalou inquired about women-only hours at the university fitness centre, a debate ensued that has continued to spread across campus.
Allalou, who said she cannot exercise in front of men due to her religious beliefs, said she assumed McGill would have women-only hours like those offered at the University of Toronto (U of T).
When she found out they did not, she shared her concerns on Facebook.
At first, Allalou said she received positive feedback from women who said they felt intimidated by working out in the weights section with men, or who felt uncomfortable with men watching them exercise.
“Many people gave me different reasons . . . it’s not just the religious beliefs,” she said.
With the support of fellow law student Raymond Grafton, Allalou proposed to the Student Society of McGill University (SSMU) that a few hours each week at the university’s fitness centre be designated for women only.
McGill students soon began taking to social media to voice their thoughts on the idea.
One Reddit user posted the following about the proposal: “Giving special privileges to a specific group for no reason at all? Yeah I’m pretty sure that contradicts some of McGill’s core values.”
But Allalou said she doesn’t see her proposal as giving women special privileges.
“It’s important for people to recognize that equality and equity are different concepts . . . It’s not necessarily about giving women a privilege, but giving women access,” she said.
An online petition opposing the proposal was also created, and had more than 600 signatures before it was taken down. As of March 9, a new petition had more than 450 signatures.
One comment on the original petition accused the proposal of being “incredibly regressive,” according to a CBC report.
“I don’t deserve to be treated as a potential sexual predator wherever I go—neither do you,” wrote the anonymous poster.
After CBC picked up Allalou’s story, she said she began receiving “hate messages” on Facebook, including ones telling her to “go back to your country” and to “stop imposing your religious beliefs on us.”
Allalou insists her proposal is not only driven by her religious beliefs.
“There are a lot of women who have many different needs and that are also advocating for this,” she said.
Women-only gym hours are not unprecedented at Canadian universities. Aside from the U of T, many fitness centres offer women-only hours, including Ryerson University and the University of Ottawa.
Although Carleton does not currently have women-only fitness hours, Marta Wein, Carleton’s Fitness and Recreation Program Administrator, said Carleton Athletics has considered a women-only section of the gym.
“It definitely has been something that has been talked about among the senior staff here,” she said.
Emma Rosenberg, a first-year political science student at Carleton, said she would use the fitness centre more often if there were women-only hours.
“A lot of girls that I know are very intimidated by some of the guys that are in the gym,” she said.
According to Allalou, representatives from McGill have been in touch with her and are open to discussing her proposal.
She said she is meeting with the university’s director of fitness soon.
