Laughter erupts over a board game and coffee at a rural cottage in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang, one of a growing number of women-only co-living spaces far from social pressures and male judgment.

Women come to share mutual support and “talk freely about intimate stuff” while others seek companionship or refuge from harassment, participants told AFP after making steamed buns in a bright kitchen overlooking the mountains.

“An all-women environment makes me feel safe,” said Zhang Wenjing, 43.

“Among women, we talk more easily about certain things,” she added.

Chen Fangyan, 28, said she felt less self-conscious without men around.

“Not being forced to wear a bra is already a kind of freedom.”

Demand for single-gender spaces — including bars, gyms, hostels and co-working hubs — h

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