A new, pricey island retreat for women ignores the plight of the less privileged
Women deal with a lot.
It seems we have to watch our backs, wallets and human rights everywhere we go. We are plagued by a whole host of social ills: harassment, inequality, constant condescension, etc.
For many women, this reality feels so finite it can’t be escaped, no matter where we are. Every inch of this planet seems to have it out for us. I wouldn’t be surprised if women everywhere occasionally caught themselves wondering if only there were a serene, isolated place where they could relax and comfortably be their true selves.
Surprisingly, this is now a possibility!
SuperShe is an island off the coast of Finland welcome only to women who are looking to get away and exist in a safe space. Its mission is to support and uplift “extraordinary women” who really need to get away and interact with other women in similar situations. It’s pitched as a place of community, free of all the ills that would corrupt it out in the regular world.
Although it is a startlingly fresh and innovative idea, the retreat is still not completely foolproof and could easily fall short in many ways. The main culprits are the island’s location and the retreat’s price tag of $4,600.
The retreat is for interacting with like-minded women in similar predicaments, which makes sense, but the cost and location will probably cause the participants to be far too identical — wealthy enough to afford the retreat price, and most likely white since it’s located in Finland. If SuperShe is truly dedicated to the well being of all types of women, it will find a way to become more inclusive.
The price is not realistic for most modern women, and if there is a specific kind of woman who needs an experience like this the most, it is the one who can’t afford similar luxuries in her daily life. Wealthy women who can book a resort in the Bahamas anytime they want don’t need access to this kind of retreat as much as underprivileged women do.
A possible solution is implementing more healing and relaxing spaces for women around the world with better prices. It doesn’t have to be an island for it to feel like one. Time and effort should be put into making more everyday places across the globe into safe havens for women to connect.
SuperShe might also benefit from hosting a few free retreats for women of color, trans women and queer women who are from disadvantaged backgrounds which make it hard to access services like this. This would inject SuperShe into those communities and prove it is a worthy ally, as well as spread the word about their retreats.
Nothing is for women unless it is for all women.
At any rate, it is good news that safe spaces and self-care are being more widely recognized as necessities. If SuperShe takes the necessary steps to make itself an inclusive and socially responsible experience, I see it being a great asset to our society.
Featured illustration by Elizabeth Rhoden
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