An Australian gym with a female-only policy has responded after a man was spotted allegedly recording women entering and leaving the gym.
A concerned attendee of the Ferndwood Fitness chain’s Browns Plains venue in Queensland recorded a young bloke outside the facility as he appeared to hold up his phone to the window.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she’d only just started to feel comfortable working out thanks to the gym’s single-sex restriction, and became frustrated when that safe environment suddenly appeared to be violated on Wednesday.
“While exiting the gym this man made a remark, and had his phone in hand, so I quickly avoided eye contact and went to my car,” the woman told news.com.au.
“Following this, I saw him videoing.”
Footage the woman recorded, and later shared to her TikTok account, appeared to show a man taking photos.
He momentarily walks away, but when the doors open again, he turns back around.
The woman said she was disappointed with what she had seen, a sentiment that was shared by some of the 1.6 million people who have viewed the clip.
“The issue is that it’s a women-only gym, there are many veiled women and women who choose to dress modestly in there, who remove their veil and wear more comfortable workout clothes,” the woman said.
“This is all violated when a man comes and takes photos regardless of the reason.”
A spokesperson from Fernwood Fitness said it’s mission was to “create a safe, supportive, and empowering space for women to focus on their health and well-being”.
“The recent incident outside our Browns Plains club, where a man was allegedly recording women entering and leaving the gym, is concerning and highlights why women-only spaces remain so important,” the spokesperson told news.com.au.
“We take the safety and comfort of our members seriously. Every woman deserves to work out without fear of intimidation or harassment, and we do not tolerate any behavior that threatens that environment.
“Fernwood Fitness remains committed to providing a secure and welcoming environment where women can train with confidence and peace of mind.”
The woman said she shared the video not to bully the man, but to make women aware of their surroundings.
Many social media users were outraged with what they had seen.
“Men always ruin everything,” one said.
Another social media user commented: “Wow this is actually disgusting.”
“Actually like he’s at zoo or something,” another added.
One person said: “All women’s gyms should have big security guard bouncers just like at clubs.”
“When people ask why I still wear baggy clothes and a hijab at the ladies gym,” another added.
One added: “Even at a women’s only gym, we can’t have any privacy. We all need to move to an island and live in peace.”
