Mrs T has asked whether there is a section on here where women can post regarding womens issues etc (guitary stuff, not the other stuff!)
She thinks that it can be a bit intimidating when most of those here are men, and would like to talk to other women on here about their experiences and struggles with guitars.
Maybe a section could be created for this?
8 Likes
Hi Andy ,and especially Mrs Tā¦
But is that not at the expense of inclusion ā¦ a separate corner for women 
ā¦ as a man I will not say anything further here , ā¦ but my feminine side that speaks above hopes that this will not happen ā¦and a short poll at home among 2 women also hope notā¦
But I find it very sad to read that your wife sometimes feels a bit intimidatedā¦
shouldnāt we be talking about that?..
and what does she say / think of the beginner safe section?
I hope Iām not hurting anyone but I wanted to share my opinion in case we create many different groups and I donāt think thatās the intentionā¦contacts via PM is also an option that many people use. ā¦at least thatās my experienceā¦
Greetings and all the best,
Rogier
14 Likes
thumbs up from me
1 Like
I am in Rogierās corner here as well, I think Community indicates being a unity and not different Communities spread across. Nothing here to be intimidated about, we have a lot of women regulars and I think we are not that scary after all 
10 Likes
I donāt think it would split the community, there are aspects of playing guitar that can be different for women, as itās been said before, itās mostly man, so a corner for them to discuss these challenges could be positive.
But having said that, maybe we should wait for some female opinions 
2 Likes
I can see where @roger_holland is coming from as I would hope that no one in this community would ever feel intimidated for whatever reason as itās a very respectful, caring and inclusive community.
However, I can also see the positives of having a topic/group similar to the old learners topic/group where the ladies of the community can get to know one another and share experiences.
I would just hope that they donāt confine themselves to that topic/group as they add a lot of value to the other topics and the community as a whole.
Definitely one really for the other ladies to give their views and suggestions.
1 Like
Intersting ?
I thought we are all just guitarists.
I would be more interested in the views of the Community being intimidating, I would expect that may be true to a degree for folks just starting and joining here, regardless of gender. It took me some time back in the day to step out of the shadows, around a year I recall.
I am also trying to think back over the near 10 years I have been here (old forum and new) to recall questions that were specifically related to problems only experience by female players. I canāt recall any and I would think they would stand out. We have had many female guitarists here as members and regardless of gender we all seem to be asking the same questions and seeking the same advice.
Examples of perceived intimidation might be useful, for us all to understand what the issues are. So I welcome comments in that respect.
A mods view would be interesting as well.
10 Likes
Agreed
Itās really tricky though because I donāt think it is right to force unity. On the other hand these things can snowball over time into more specific groups for different things.
Maybe any of the teachers have experience with this?
1 Like
What would the expected parameters of this section be?
Would it be restricted visibility, or restricted access? If so, how would this be managed or policed?
If the implementation is in the form of a section which is labelled for the use of women, but has no restrictions or other controls (just like other sections), does this mean responses from non-women would (or would or would not) be accepted?
Cheers,
Keith
5 Likes
I totally agree with @roger_holland. Iām a woman too and I canāt see any intimidating issues in this community. In a time where people are changing even their language to demonstrate equal rights between genders (as happens in Germany 
), women should not be intimidated by joining a certain group. Maybe your wife could explain that more detailed? I always was treated here with respect, never had any issues with specific female questions about playing guitar. I see this community as a multicultural and āunisexā place for everyone whoās following Justinās course. No need for me to create a female section. But maybe, I got your wifeās intention wrong?
22 Likes
Thumbs down from me.
2 Likes
Hi Andy and Mrs T
I think there are still issues that female guitarists face in regards to playing and buying guitars, and asking questions relating to these issues in many all-inclusive forums can be intimidating, and clichĆ©d responses frustrating. On the one hand, I understand why having a Womenās Section would facilitate the asking of questions that might not effect all/some/any male players, but on the other hand having an all-inclusive forum would give the minority who oppose us, or whom donāt take female players seriously, see the errors of their ways by seeing the majority being helpful and positive towards. Iāve read JustinGuitar Community forums for a while and they seem all-inclusive to me, so I think I would feel okay asking any type of question.
In summary, I understand why a Womenās Section is good, but I donāt think itās necessary here. MIght a Womenās Thread be a good compromise? 
Sarah
7 Likes
I donāt see how that would work Sarah. It would just become a jumbled mess of various topics.
The last thing the world needs right now is more division.
8 Likes
I agree! Iāve been thinking about how such a thread or section would work since my post and canāt come up with an answer that I think sounds viable. Also, enforcing female-only forums is going the opposite way of an all-inclusive society and community.
11 Likes
Thumbs down from me. Why do we feel the need to segregate ourselves all the time? Age, sex, nationality, culture, religionā¦ none of that matters here. We are all guitar players, why divide ourselves further?
Doing this would require a men-only section, to keep things fair. Then maybe a beginner-only section, so they donāt feel intimidated by posting newbie problems. And an expert-only section, so they arenāt bothered by the beginners. Perhaps kids-only and retiree-only sections too?
And whatās to prevent people posting non-[group]-specific issues in these sections? Not only would it restrict the number of people that could see and potentially help with the issue, it would also restrict the number of people who could see and potentially benefit from the answer.
Itās just not practical, and I donāt see any benefit even if it was. The JG forums are about as inclusive, friendly, and encouraging as itās possible for an online community to be. Even disagreements here donāt erupt into arguments like they do everywhere else, and every issue is treated with respect no matter what it is or who itās from. Weāve got a good thing going on here. Letās not ruin it by mimicking societies divisive nature.
16 Likes
Bottom line here is we are all part of the same Community.
If someone feels intimidated to post or become involved in the Community then that is a separate issue. Anyone who spends time on the forum and reads the posts will quickly find that this is one of the most if not the most supportive and inclusive guitar communities out there.
15 Likes
Is there any actual evidence that women are discriminated against in the Community?
3 Likes
Looks like my opinion is going be in the minority on this one, oh well here goes anyway 
I say if a marginalised group wants a separate section, let them have it. It might help some folks feel more included, and if so, thatās great. Whatās the harm?
I agree with everyone who has pointed out that this community is incredibly friendly, inclusive and welcoming. Especially when compared with other online communities, this place is something special.
But that (justified) sense of pride doesnāt give any of us the right to invalidate someone elseās experience. If somebody says they feel intimidated, Iām inclined to take their word on that. If they say a womenās space will help them feel more welcome, Iām inclined to give it to them. Itās a low effort move with basically no downside.
10 Likes
Most female guitarists Iāve spoken to online and in the real world have experiences in which weāve not been taken seriously, or are treated with varying degrees of hostility. In certain genres of music these experiences are more frequent. Overall, I have to say these experiences are created by a minority!
6 Likes