Women-only living

女性专用居住区

The Conversation

2026-02-23

26 分钟
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Datshiane Navanayagam talks to two women in France and Canada about why single-sex living spaces appeal to older women. Pat Dunn is 75 and started a Facebook group for senior women wanting to share a living space, after her husband died six years ago. There she found two housemates with whom she has lived ever since. Pat now runs a non-profit called SWLT (Senior Women Living Together) that helps other women in Ontario find similar setups. Her Facebook community has over two thousand members. Hanne Nuutinen co-founded La Joie Homebase in France in 2024: co-living spaces for women who want to stay there for weeks or months at a time. Their ‘homebases’ cater to globally mobile women, typically aged 50–80. Many of the women are still professionally active, while others are pursuing hobbies or independent travel. Their residents come from France, the United States, Africa and the UK. Produced by Jane Thurlow and Becca Johns (Image: (L) Pat Dunn, courtesy Pat Dunn. (R) Hanne Nuutinen, courtesy Hanne Nuutinen.)
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  • Why are single-sex living spaces so appealing to older women?

  • I'm Dashiani Navanayagam and welcome to the conversation from the BBC World Service,

  • the programme which explores the female experience around the world and speaks to remarkable women about the incredible things they're doing.

  • My guests today are Pat Dunn,

  • a retired nurse from Canada who set up a non-profit called Senior Women Living Together after her husband suddenly died and she found herself struggling to pay her rent.

  • SWLT helps women in Ontario find others to live with and now has over 2,000 members.

  • And Hannah Newtonen is a single mother from Finland who co-founded La Joye home base in France for women from all over the world to stay for different periods of time.

  • Pat and Hannah are warm welcome to the conversation.

  • Hello.

  • Oh, thanks for having me and I'm really looking forward to it.

  • Thank you for having me as well.

  • It's a pleasure to be here.

  • What you've both set up is often described as co-living,

  • but do you see this as different to a flat or a house share?

  • Pat, let's start with you.