The Battles of a Woman in Architecture
Contributor

The most recent result of the Women in Architecture research by the Architects Journal (AJ) voiced out the utmost dismay of thousands of women employed in UK's architecture industry. Their frustration rooted from sexual harassment, discrimination, and gender pay gap that still exists, despite the influential efforts being done to end it since 2013.

 

Three years aren’t enough to change a long-running problem, which is why we have to open the eyes of young women to the inconvenient challenges once they decide to pursue a career in Architecture. To inform, inspire, and empower them to become game changers and resolve these issues hand in hand:

 

Wide Pay Gaps and Underappreciated Leadership

 

Pay gaps are normal when seniority is the picture. It’s still bothersome to know that despite the training and education that don’t favor a gender, 40% of the female British architects believe that they'll earn more if they were male.  

 

But I'm most surprised when I found out that a female firm director in the UK earns roughly £20,000 less than his male counterpart. This is already on the managerial level, which makes us doubt if the authority of a female architect is being fully recognized by the building industry.

 

I recalled the words of the late Zaha Hadid when she declared that she was judged harshly and taken advantage as an architect because she is a woman. Sadly, the recognition she deserved was for her work and anti-discrimination advocacy was only given after she died.

 

Harassment, Discrimination, and Survival

 

The same survey results stated that nearly 72% of women in Architecture worldwide have experienced sexual discrimination, harassment in their career. It scares the woman in me to know that some of them are abused monthly, weekly, or daily. If this is the case, I cannot blame them if they wanted to look for other career opportunities where they feel safe and respected.

 

On the other hand, I look up to the women have avoided or survived these hostile attacks. I stand that every firm must condemn unwelcome verbal or physical act towards women.  The Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) for example, is serious in implementing their gender equity policy in Australia. After three years, several architecture firms connected to them like Superdraft Pty. Ltd. have established an environment that practice principles to achieve for fair participation of women within the architecture profession. Women are given an equal opportunity to deliver better and more promising architectural services to the company's clients. 

 

The trouble with starting a family

 

To be fair, both father and mother figures are vital to the growth of a child. It is always hard for a parent to balance ample time with their family with all the pressure and demands in the building industry.

 

However, the majority of the female British architects are certain that their careers in architecture will decline once they decide to have a child. Is this because women are perceived to devote less time to her work as she fulfils the responsibility of a parent? Whatever the firm’s reason, having a child became a major financial and career backlash for professional women who still want to have families. This is why women in the building industry choose to have kids in the latter part of their lives.

 

The movement to give women equitable career opportunities in the building industry will not turn into false dawn if the whole building industry would rethink on making Architecture work more flexible for women with kids. I firmly believe that it will be more practical to adjust jobs than to induce harm the lives, career, and happiness of the workers.

 

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