In today’s technological world, it is obvious to see the life-changing innovations that replace the old ideologies and move into an advanced stage. Yet, architecture is one where the ideologies remain unchangeable even after the innovations. Construction is the second largest industry in India, and the per cent of licensed women architects is still low in this field. And, there are various reasons why the architecture field has fewer female employees or employers than other fields. After completing their B planning colleges, most of the graduates look for easy jobs, and there is a lack of women working in the architecture field. It also creates stereotypes like women in architecture. But, now we need to normalise women working in the architecture field as men do and not be them as sacred. The outcome of these stereotypes leads to inequality in the workspace. In this blog, we compiled the reasons for gender inequality in this field and the women working in architecture that need to generalize.
Women in Architecture- How the world sees?
In recent years, architecture has been a male-dominated field. However, in recent years, women graduates of B. Plan colleges in India are quite increasing. The stereotypes of women as architects and gender inequality are quite challenging and still exist. In old days, it was common to think that, when you wanted to know who was the architect of the building, you should immediately think of a man dressed in a black suit. The misconception is that architects are naturally male and that it is sacred to be a female architect. The gender gap in the architectural industry is still being concerned and evaluated. On the other side, women leave the profession soon after graduating or work for only a few years. This ideology is the start of various assumptions, misconceptions, and drawbacks in this field. Let’s discuss the reasons for gender inequality.
SIX Reasons for Gender Inequality in the Architecture field:
The graduates who are pursuing in the top B arch colleges of architecture and planning in India have to be aware that women architects have to face challenges and the normalisations are not in their dictionary yet, and it’s all because of the ideology of a male-dominated field.
- Who gets the high pay? Women typically earn 20% less than men in all other professions, including architecture. Only a few female architects can earn extremely high salaries. When they could use their creative abilities to gain even more by working on a different career path, the lack of reward must be the reason they left. The fact that women leave the field of architecture is never the main reason for their departure.
- Female mentors are hard to find: Mentors play a crucial role in assisting recent graduates in achieving professional success. A mentor will help you overcome your first-time blunders, assist you in networking, and boost your self-esteem.
- Employers prefer to employ men as architects: Men and women approach job applications differently. If a man meets half of the requirements, he will apply for the position; a lady will preclude herself as not being adequately qualified. As a result, an employer must choose from a greater number of male candidates than female candidates.
- Lack of Family Support: Many levels of assistance that persons in the engineering field can obtain may contribute to the disproportionate male to female designer ratio.
- Technology: Information technology (IT) is essential to the majority of careers in architecture because design, building calculations, and other tasks rely on technology. Men are the gatekeepers of technology. In IT, women are sadly underrepresented in positions of power and influence; men typically hold the keys to the essential technology that enables architecture firms to function. Because of this difference, women are at a disadvantage in their current organisations, and when they are looking for new employment, the skill that is in high demand is enthusiasm and mastery of technology.
- Generalizations: Generalizations put all kinds of people in a case. Female designers can do insides, but only male engineers can construct an extension. Stereotypes foster limitations, and they place unjustified restrictions on what men and women can do in life. In the discipline of architecture, it is assumed that expert architects are men. This attitude might deter young women from seeking careers.
Conclusion:
Being an architect is a lifestyle that we recognise will have an impact on how we view the world, how we can design and construct in support of a better environment, and how we can influence future women in the profession is being an architect. Female architects are collaborating to address issues that are important to them, such as equity, diversity, and inclusivity in their field. And now that various organizations and top B Arch colleges in India support the idea of intersectional and cross-disciplinary approaches that encourage leadership, mentorship, and networking possibilities in architecture, we need to assist, celebrate, and connect our fellow practitioners in the design profession.
