"Women in architecture" has become a sensitive social issue. Previously, it was reported that the industry is teeming with sexism and now it has been revealed that although many women apply to pursue architecture, only a few end up with a license.
The Wall Street Journal covered a feature where it cites statistics from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the American Institute of Architects. The figures show a striking difference between the number of female enrolments in architecture and the number of qualified, operating female architects in the U.S.
While the number of female applications in architecture exams is currently 40 percent - a 30 percent increase over three decades - the present count of female architects in the country is just 19 percent (81,000).
"There's still a glass ceiling, ironically, in architecture," Rosa Sheng, senior associate at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in San Francisco, told The Journal.
"There's an influx of more women coming in, but the hurdles haven't changed," she added.
So what exactly are these hurdles? The Architectural Review puts forth the problems succinctly:
- Long work hours, low pay, low job satisfaction.
- Work-life balance absent, especially when you are a mother.
- Sexism. In all aspects including pay, authority and opportunities.
Sexism is the biggest reason why women feel compelled to drop out of the profession or quit their career altogether.
In an earlier research, The Annual Women in Architecture survey found that about 66 percent of the polled female architects had suffered 'sexual discrimination'. About 31 percent reported experiencing it on a monthly or quarterly basis, while 21 percent of them said that they were bullied at their workplace.
But the industry is trying to bridge this gender gap. More recently, McGraw Hill Construction's Architectural Record honored five women with its first annual Women in Architecture Awards.
"We aim to honor and celebrate women, and to advance the conversation about their role in the field," Cathleen McGuigan, editor-in-chief of Architectural Record, said in an official statement.
McGuigan acknowledged the sorry state of gender inequality in the industry, but noted that things are changing.
"...the good news is that there's a growing contingent of women designers whose architecture is having a profound impact on the built environment. Our first Women in Architecture Awards honor five outstanding practitioners whose work helps to open doors to the future," she added.
