Neoliberal Feminism Has a New Private Club

The Wing, London’s new private members’ club founded by a former Hillary Clinton aide, is just more of capitalism covering itself in the veneer of women’s empowerment.

The Wing cofounder Audrey Gelman and actress Jennifer Lawrence speak during an event at the club’s SoHo location on February 23, 2018 in New York City. (Monica Schipper / Getty Images)


Last month, one of the US pioneers of a women-only coworking space launched its new branch in London. The Wing — so-named because it’s a home away from home, presumably for those whose homes already have several wings — offers millennial pink furnishings, tasteful chintz, color-coded bookshelves, and telephone rooms named after Harry Potter characters. For £1,836 a year, women will have access to this, along with a program of “inspirational events,” mentoring, and a room with beauty products: a feminist’s utopia.

The Wing has lofty ambitions. Audrey Gelman, a former aide to Hillary Clinton, childhood friend of Lena Dunham, and The Wing cofounder claims, “The Wing is a space that was designed with women’s interests in mind. Our goal and our mission is really the advancement of women in our society, in their individual lives and careers. And we believe that women deserve a space like this.”

Aside from glossy lifestyle features about its founders and press-release-as-news stories, The Wing has its fair share of detractors. The main line of attack on The Wing is that it is exclusive. Their membership fees price out working-class women. The Wing does offer a scholarship, but it’s based not on need but on how much a given woman has done to help other women. It’s true, the benefits of these clubs are not shared in an equitable way, so the argument goes, but improvements to their membership rules and fees would resolve this.

Sorry, but this article is available to active subscribers only. Please log in or become a subscriber.