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Seven years after Dorte Mandrup declared: “I am not a female architect. I am an architect,” gender-based lists remain a symptom of an industry that is changing too slowly.
Seven years ago, I wrote an opinion piece titled: I am not a female architect. I’m an architect. In a critical response to Dezeen’s list of 50 inspiring female architects and designers to mark International Women’s Day – a list in which I was also included – I pose the question: is it long overdue that we should be doing away with these good intentions? Awards for Women Architects and Designers.
Some consider this controversial—even anti-feminist. To this day, I still find it baffling that suggesting that women should be allowed to work and compete within the same confines as their male peers could be considered controversial. Asking to be seen simply as an architect and not constantly categorized by my gender.
We have long proven that the virtues of architecture cannot be limited by gender
Let me make it clear that this article is not trying to ignore the importance of highlighting the significant impact of women in the field of architecture. Quite the opposite. The contributions of women around the world are vast and diverse.
We have long proven that the merits of architecture cannot be limited by gender. Still, women remain an outlier in architecture courses. The recently published book 100 Women: Architects in Practice showcases samples of the work and practice of women from around the world, with authors Harriet Harriss, Naomi House, Monika Parrinder and Tom Ravenscroft describing their book as “a product of inequality” “Unfortunately, “career” is still relevant.
Again, my criticism is not about recognition per se, but that the persistent need for distinction is symptomatic of inequality and prejudice. Including women in general architectural discourse should be common practice.
The question is whether we have made enough progress to leave special mentions and categories in the past. Despite their noble intentions, the Brit Awards excluded women entirely when they scrapped their gender-specific Best Artist category.
The tide turns very slowly
While the construction industry has made some progress in recent years, the tide has been very slow to turn, and it is frustrating, to say the least, that we still need to spend time discussing the glaring gender of our industry when we should be further creating more opportunities. difference. A diverse and equitable profession that transcends gender.
As I write in the spring of 2017, thousands of people have gathered for January’s Women’s March to advocate for gender equality and civil rights. Social frustration loomed large and in October #MeToo became a global movement, prompting women to speak out against harassment and discrimination.
Sadly, for those of us working in construction this comes as no surprise, but it provides an important platform to shine a light on the culture of abuse that perpetuates within the industry. #MeToo has fueled this process.
We cannot simply wait for society to catch up and policymakers to take action
It highlights the deep-seated power structures of which sexism is a symptom, as well as manifesting itself in other discriminatory behaviors: not being given a chance, having qualifications not recognized, being ignored or even ignored, and facing lower expectations simply because of your gender.
Some of this is influenced by social structures, but we cannot simply wait for society to catch up and policymakers to take action. Companies, institutions and industry leaders need to take action – and we can start by looking at ourselves. We know from countless surveys that women are underrepresented and underpaid.
Although women make up nearly 50% of architecture graduates in places like the US, UK and Denmark, this balance is not reflected in company structures. Many have even left the industry entirely.
What are the fundamental factors that are holding them back or preventing them from succeeding? Are we making the necessary cultural changes within our institutions and studios to ensure women have the same opportunities as their male peers? How do power relations affect gender equality?
A few years ago, our studio began researching power structures in Danish architecture. Browsing through the employees on the website, it’s already obvious that the partner group is generally male-dominated, but since it’s difficult to determine the internal structure by title alone, we looked up 40 of the largest architecture studios in the Danish Central Business Register and found that understanding ownership How to divide between genders.
In an owner-driven industry, power and leadership are undoubtedly closely linked
Ten of the studios are owned by engineering firms and large international companies. Of the remaining 30 companies, only one is majority-owned by women. In owner-driven industries, where power and leadership are undeniably linked, the question of power is important because power gives you the prerogative to hire, fire, promote, and even exclude—whether intentional or not.
However, it also provides owners and leaders with opportunities for concrete action. Check in with your own business. Do you pay equal wages? There is absolutely no reason why there should be a huge, or worse, widening gender pay gap. Start there.
Second, actively choose to have women represented at all levels of the company. For those of us who have practiced in countries where the proportion of female graduates has approached 50% in recent years, there should be no excuses. It’s just a matter of will. In my 25 years as a studio owner, I have never been in a situation where it was difficult to find qualified women to fill positions.
If you still find it difficult, expand your network. To those who claim women just want something else; that they don’t want the responsibility of being a partner, or that they don’t make the effort to start their own practice: I’ve never found that to be the case. But we need to create an industry where women can imagine that this is possible. If they can’t, then we have failed. So let’s move forward together faster.
Dorte Mandrup is the founder and creative director of Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter in Copenhagen.
Photography is by Tuala Hjarnø.
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