Women are not allowed there because they are violent and abusive!

Compare money that goes towards women's only shelters, organizations and charities. With money spend on those "sheds". Even dog shelters have better funding!

Domestic abuse is a real thing, I can understand the need for women's shelters.

Why would it be sexist to have men's only spaces for the purposes of men's mental health?

If it's good for men's mental health, wouldn't it be good for women's mental health too? I just don't see how using a community workshop is related to gender.

That is true, such spots should exist as well.

But the point of the men-only ones is to allow men to socialize with other men and talk about problems that affect them only or problems they don't feel comfortable talking about in a mixed setting.

No, the two sexes are different and we don't heal the same way or doing the same things.

Would this argument hold up in reverse for a women's shelter?

They're already a thing though. ;)

Men behave differently around women, compared to an all-male environment. It's mostly subconscious, but men (especially the older generation) would instinctively put up a tough front while women are present, and would be hesitant to show signs of weakness, so some would have trouble truly opening up. No doubt there are also male health concerns that men would feel more comfortable talking about to other men.

It's not sexist to want men only spaces, just like women only gyms and salons are not sexist.

I have to wonder how old I need to get before I understand the "older generation". I'm almost 60 myself. I'm not sure that it's really an age thing. There has always been a "hypermasculinity" culture of men who need to look tough, and you can find plenty of millennial representatives. But other men have no problem interacting with women.

>I've always wondered why they need to be so sexist. Is it so terrible to have women around?

I dunno, maybe ask the woman you quoted:

"While the local men's shed welcomes women, Ms Reardon said there were many women who wanted their own space.

"People like me that would feel intimidated going into what would traditionally be a man's space … want to learn with other women," she said."

The women themselves don't want to be around men because men are so horrible apparently.

My experience is only that that people are individuals, and whether it's pleasant or educational to have them around or not doesn't have anything to do with gender.

Nobody said anyone was horrible. It's just that if a group is very dominantly male or female, you feel a bit like an outcast when you are the other sex joining in. Even if they are super welcoming, it's still feels a bit weird.

Also, each sex tends to have a bit of a difference preference on how a meeting-space should be. For example: Most of my male friends tend to hang out in garages/sheds some of the time. Never seen a woman choosing a those locations.

It sounds like some of them have moved away from that, but I guess originally it started as a thing to help older men.