Ealing’s ‘women-only’ tower block is regressive

Designs for a tower block in Ealing just for women – the first in Britain – have been given the thumbs up by planners. On the surface of it, the scheme, proposed by the Women’s Pioneer Housing association, which was founded in the 1920s by women’s rights campaigners, sounds rather good. It offers a permanent, refuge-style living arrangement for vulnerable and poor women,  including victims of domestic violence. Some utopian touches are in the offing too: deeper balconies designed to keep prying eyes away, slightly lower kitchen work surfaces, even ventilation systems suited for menopausal women (presumably the option to open the window wide on the 15th floor will be limited). But scratch the tiniest bit deeper and the strong feminist carapace falls away to reveal shoddy thinking.

The problem with a block like this is the way it further balkanises gender, formalising the apparent inability of men and women to live or work together.