AWA+D Salon
March 19, 2013 7:00 pm
Home of Wena Dows
Topic: Women in Architecture: How are we doing?
Statistics abound. In the United States, the National Architectural Accrediting Board reported in 2009 that 41% of architecture graduates were women while the AIA National Associates Committee Report from 2004 gives the percentage of licensed female architects as 20%. In 2003, an AIA Women in Architecture study found that women accounted for 27% of staff in U.S. architecture firms.
^ Alexis Gregory, “Calling All Women: Finding the Forgotten Architect”, AIArchitect, November 12, 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
So already, in the leap from school to practice, we’re losing ground in our numbers. And when we look at women in leadership positions, the situation can appear rather dire. What’s happening, and what can we do about it?
In just a quick google search, there appears to be a good deal of information on the topic.
Here’s an articlethat asks the question “why do women leave architecture?” funded by the RIBA, research done by two women from the University of West England in Bristol:
And there’s a recent NY Times Op Ed “Why Gender Equality Stalled”that posits that since there is not enough support for two-parent households, child care responsibilities invariably fall on the female half of the partnership. A compelling argument.
It’s also interesting to see where we’ve come from. To that end, there’s an amazing documentary on PBS called Makers: Women who Make America, a 3 hour chronicle of the women’s movement, this being the 50th anniversary of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan.
Join us to share your thoughts!
Space is limited.
Please RSVP by Friday March 15 to Stephanie Reich.
Refreshments provided – bring a beverage or small snack if you wish.