Media focus on women's only sessions at Blue Water Swim School

With women's only swim sessions, and their popularity among Muslim women, generating considerable attention in mainstream media, the Blue Water Swim School in Sydney's south west has recently commenced a series of aqua aerobics lessons for females.

Often seized upon by populist politicians and anti-immigration campaigners, women's only sessions are widely regarded in the aquatic and recreation industry as an example of diverse and inclusive programming.

The Blue Water Swim School at Condell Park close its pool to men for an hour at a time on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and Tuesday night for a women-only aqua therapy group, Aquatic Flex.

Commenting on the program, Fatme Taha, Aquatic Flex Director and Head Swimming Instructor, explained that her clients were a diverse group of “young girls, mums, single mums and even grandmothers.”

In a statement published online, Taha advised “they include women who are Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and women of no faith. All are welcome.

“We do cater for women only and I do not and will not apologise for this.

“I encourage all my clients to take their approach to physical activity seriously and provide a setting that will help achieve this.”

Aquatic Flex said the swimming groups were “diverse and inclusive of women from all socio-economic, cultural and religious backgrounds.”

Blue Water Swim School owner Simon Rodwell said Aquatic Flex had hired his pool to hold classes for women in the area with a high Muslim population.

Rodwell told Daily Mail Australia “it's for women who want to be without any men there and, okay, a high proportion of them could be Muslim.”

Explaining the segregation, Taha said many of her clients were Muslim women who preferred to be segregated from men.

She added “for our community, for sure, yes, they don't like to get mixed with men.

'Segregated, yes, especially in the water because coming out of the water the lady feels revealed and the clothes gets tight on her and she feels uncomfortable so they prefer not to have men watching what they do.”

The introduction of retractable curtains around pools for women's only session at Auburn’s Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre in May generated criticism in populist media.

However, Rodwell said there wasn't a backlash about the early afternoon women's-only sessions at his Blue Water Swim School, concluding “this is a private operation here. They're using it at times when we wouldn't be using it anyway.”

For more information on Aquatic Flex go to www.aquaticflex.com.au

Image courtesy of Aquatic Flex.

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