Women aren't permitted to fence, GUEST, without wearing appropriate protective equipment. Neither are men, for that matter. I wear an FIE-certified three-weapon mask, an FIE-certified plastron, an FIE-certified three-weapon jacket, and (because I'm not fencing competitively) leather gauntlets. Because I'm not doing this competitively I don't wear the fencing trousers, shoes or socks, nor, because I fence "dry," do I worry about electrical wiring or wear lame.