I have just re-read the past threads of this topic that have been shared since I originally posted it over 2 years ago.
How have things progressed? Andee and Tom have been taken part in their ImPerfect Tour looking at ways of improving how women are welcomed and treated by clubs and their members. One of the things they are doing is attempting to get all clubs to have a "Women In Nude Recreation" representative who will help women to feel safe and answer any problems and questions. Their tour hopefully encourages naturist women to want to stay in the life style and also get more involved. Maybe the existence of such initiatives will help bring new women to naturism, but it will need to be promoted and handled effectively. If it appears that women need protecting that can actually be a put off!
What we need more than ever is to ensure that the social profile of naturism is one that is seen to be attractive to women. I wonder if naturism is still failing to show this? It may have got worse since 2022.
Reading between the lines the need for the ImPerfect Tour is partly based on the fact that some men within the AANR, its social media and within clubs are making mistakes with women. Being too attentive, too flirty, too complimentary. Maybe this behaviour is not just happening in the AANR and is a world wide issue? We have heard reports that some men share images of their partners to attract attention, and reports of women sharing photos being bombarded with praise and other unwanted attention. Sadly this is expected in general social media, but should not be a problem on websites designed for naturism, and if it is then no wonder some women fearing stepping foot into the clubs that these men may be part of. Though of course they may not be genuine naturists and they may be using these internet sites for other reasons and may not be visiting the clubs. Internet sites need a lot of guidance to keep the right sort of use predominant, ANW would not be what it is today if Anna and I didn't work full time on it and originally use ourselves as an example of what the site was about. Our presence has made a huge difference to the ANW community and the community has grown with our example in mind. I doubt such care, attention and time has been put to the naturist social media sites that have created such concerns. What we have to ensure is that naturism on the internet is not just considering existing naturists but also considering people who want to learn about naturism, and we must ensure they learn about it with positive examples and not negative.
If someone went to a beach for the first time and was pestered then they may well consider that naturism is just like this and walk away. Surely the same is true of people looking into naturism on the internet. The research they find has to be true to naturism.
I think that research should show a naturism that is not aimed at women but appears safe and welcoming to women. The vast majority of adult women have male partners, the vast majority of women have children, the vast majority of people want to visit places, have experiences and take part in events that they can share with the people that mean the most to them. Partners and children. To me we have to solidly aim naturism at everyone at the majority and that will naturally incorporate the minorities too. If it is seen that women are happy to enjoy naturism with their partner and/or children, then women who have no children, have no partner and/or may have female partners will consider the lifestyle as safe and suitable for them too.
Since I launched this topic in 2022 we have seen more women only events being created and more adult only events being created. To a point where, at least in the UK, it may seem to the researcher that children are no longer catered for or wanted in naturism and that it is best for women to stay out of the unwanted leers of men. Add these thoughts to the unwanted and incorrect behaviour on social media and there seems very little to inspire women to trust naturism or try it. If I was a young woman who wished to try naturism I would probably be in a situation where I would wish to try it with my partner. So women only events would be ruled out and I would find myself worrying about the adult only events. As a novice naturist I would be worried about finding myself with my partner in a sexualised situation, and lets face it there are some well known and well publicised examples that will confirm such fears that sadly still use words like naturism and nudism.
If I didn't have a partner I may consider a women only event but that would be hampered but two things, first: do I want to stay single for ever and second: do I want to invest my time in a life choice that seems to suggest that you are preyed upon if any men are around. And there is enough example of single men being ostracised from naturism and bad behaviour on the internet to back up that fear, with the libertine venues once again adding proof of such fear. If I was a woman in a relationship with another woman I may feel that I could always go to women only events but those threats and concerns about the life style would still play on my mind. I believe that I would not be willing to invest my time in a life choice that appeared dangerous and non-family friendly simply so I could spend a little time naked. If I still had the need a quiet trip to a quiet beach may be the simplest answer.
Ironically enough I wonder if that is actually happening. Since we have returned to the UK we have been saddened by the lack of families using naturist beaches, and I think it is mainly due to the huge amount of influence on the internet pushing families away from naturism. A general attitude of it is fine for adults but not for children is oozing into social media and being backed by those that organise naturist events, campaigns and get togethers. The very few family events are given little to no publicity out side of close-knit naturist circles, to the point that I have no idea whether the main family event in the UK happened this year or when it was if it did happen, and Anna and I are hardly newbies to naturist research. Where as adult only party events are everywhere, sprinkled among the innuendo posts, the look at my cleavage posts and the sexual sharing posts that fill the activity feeds on the various general social media that event organisers use. The wrong message is clearly there to be misunderstood. Naturism is a sexualised life choice for adults who want to find other men, women or couples to "connect with." If I was a woman I would run a mile. If I was the sort of woman who wouldn't run a mile, would I be the sort of woman that naturism wants? Maybe it would appear that way, as the craving for more women seems at times far too creepy to be trusted. If I went to social media and shared a want to see more women naked on ANW what would people think? In reality it is true that of course we want more women in naturism and on ANW, why wouldn't we, but to promote that want appears pestering and will be off putting to most women.
I believe that the best way to encourage more women is too encourage more of everyone, ensure naturism is seen as safe and suitable for all and get more people, including families on beaches openly promoting naturism. Ask valid questions like "Why is this charity walk not open to families?" And also bare in mind that a lot of women are introduced to naturism by then partners, who at one point were single men. This includes some high profile supporters of women only events, are memories that short? Is not personal experience that worked for them the most sensible way to consider what may work for others? We have 100 years of organised naturism to look back on and consider, surely we know what works and what doesn't work? Surely we can learn from the good and the bad and find the best answers. Currently I think we are being incredibly blind to the answers, I think it is because we are trying and failing to adjust to modern ideas and thoughts created in this internet age but naturism is not a new idea, it is a very old idea and it should not pander to modern fears and trends to exist, it should do the opposite, it should exist to break down our modern fears and trends.
Naturism has one easy answer to welcome everyone.
Get Undressed and Get Real.
There are a few things here that interest me.
Firstly, I do feel there is a lack of education about respectful behaviour within naturist establishments on male conduct. It interests me that within the UK, there are very strict policies in place that regulate men, and there may be a need for US based clubs to look at that.
Secondly, the USA is the leading country when it comes to acceptance of Swinger culture. Many swingers also identify as naturists, and there could be a case here of that being seen in play. We have encountered swinger culture as naturists, and have always found it to be very predatory in regard to women. If one uses this as a guide (Loosely speaking) That could to some degree explain some of the issue here with vile behaviour amongst men. The swinger culture is aware of naturist rules, and so therefore try to reduce what is normal open behaviour around naturism, but not always that well.
Thirdly, the rise of social media and the openness we see on many sites such as Reddit and Discord, does host individuals who feel that naturism should be more sexualised in order to modernise it, and once again it is noted that most participants are based outside of Europe and the UK and spread across a great deal of the world. I would question as to how many on those sites are actual naturists, or just voyeurs looking for naked pictures and allowing their fantasies to run rife? These platforms do influence others, and therefore can encourage bad behaviour.
My final train of thought currently, is that when you look at the figures for abuse to women, which I do, as I am still loosely connected to the therapy industry and still studying it as a means of academic amusement, in the UK, the figure for abuse stands at approx. 6.9% women 3% men. This is right across the board, so includes textiles, and also creates the figure of 93% of women who are not abused. So, to a degree, and this is hypothetical, 100% of the men, are being restricted due to around 7% of women who have suffered bad behaviour from men.
I will add here, that this is textile inclusive, and considering naturism is a hell of lot more respectful than the textile world, it stands to reason the figure for abused women within naturism in much lower.
Just to add to my list of thoughts currently, I know from experience that many women who have suffered an abusive relationship, do with therapy in time overcome some of their difficulties and find their way into wholesome relationships with for want of better words, I will describe as decent men.
It is clear the US has issues, I am not convinced segregation is the answer, I believe currently education is. The way things are going at the moment sort of feels like men are being sent to the right, and women to the left, which is creating a vast gap down the centre of empty space. That space has always been where the children are, and so as a result we are seeing less children within the naturist world. I believe work needs to be done on certain behaviours, and that should start in the clubs, who should maybe consider hosting work groups and seminars to get everyone back on the same hymn sheet. If men and women continue to be separated and driven apart within naturism, family naturism will be gone forever, and if that happens, it matters not what kind of behaviour there is, because there will be no more naturism.
These are where my thoughts are today, and it is clear to me, there is a need to start talking to each other more.
at June 13, 2024 3:16 PM BST 
Steve ANW: that worked! My drop down Members Area menu is showing everything now. Thanks!
Steve ANW and Robin/Rin: Your thoughts make good sense to me.
Since the rise of the feminist movement, I think a lot of men have become pretty cautious and defensive around women. Some feminists preach (shorthand for brevity) that men, especially white men, are bad and are the cause of all bad things. Therefor life is better without a man in your life. My daughter strongly disagrees and feels that feminists (in general) have messed things up for women.
Having spent my career in corporate cultures (worked for three different banks), you quickly learned to be very, very cautious, neutral, inoffensive, and if possible, mentoring around female employees. Many women rose up the ranks and did just fine and were great colleagues.
So, I think the mainstream of men are actually quite careful and respectful around women. This can get very confusing for men sometimes. Do I approach in a friendly, non-aggressive manner just to be welcoming and then disengage and go about my business? Do I stay completely away? What if she says hello first? Is that a test of some sort?
Where I think things might have gone off the rails is the younger generation of men. Feminists have taught women to be promiscuous, and to aggressively seek sex just like men (supposedly). Is this then the world view that young men have?
I don't have any solomonic answers but I think the suggestions that SteveANW and Robin/Rin are making are on the right track.
Footnote Robin/Rin: the "abuse" stats are suspect, because we need to know how "abuse" is defined these days. The definition(s) (and I don't know what they are for sure), go way beyond physical abuse, and into "unwelcome speech" for example. Heck, I encounter "unwelcome speech" on a weekly basis! This is another reason why a lot of men feel the need to walk on eggs when it comes to women.
Just to clarify, the figures are UK government stats based on Sexual/Emotion/Physical abuse that was reported in the previous year. When looking at the world view, the figures rise and fall based on each country, I used the UK figures as an example of how it has an impact on this country, and could be used as a guide across the board. I believe, but do not quote me that in the US the figures are about 3% higher.
