“Men have had hundreds of years to acquire space, to acquire status,” Sichel said. “They’re lucky in that they have these opportunities, these spaces that their predecessors have carved out for them. And women just don’t.”

Sichel said RUS board members may soon hold a meeting with members of male final clubs to talk about how the lack of female social space affects women on campus.

“It’s a different feeling going to a space that is not yours and could never be yours because of something that is out of your control,” Sichel said. “Because of your gender, you can’t have a space that’s yours that’s not your bedroom, even if you wanted to.”

Members of RUS, including Sichel, have blamed the University for the imbalance between male and female social space. In the past, the group has advocated for the College to start a women’s center to combat the problem—and Sichel said the item is still on RUS’ agenda.

Despite the financial and organizational obstacles to starting a new social group, two female social clubs—Pleiades and the Sabliere Society—and one sorority have sprouted up in the past year, bringing the tally to five female social clubs and three sororities with Harvard-based chapters. There are also several other Boston area sororities that Harvard students can join.

“There is so much more to the college scene than sitting out in the cold knocking on the door of a final club and waiting for some sophomore to let you in,” Sabliere Society founder Angie J. Thebaud ’04 told The Crimson last year.

—Staff writer Elizabeth W. Green can be reached at egreen@fas.harvard.edu.