For International Women’s Day on Tuesday 8th March, the Women in Architecture group celebrated in style at the Boss Showroom in Clerkenwell. As part of the WIA in-person social, honouring the #breakthebias theme, several members of the WIA Committee presented a role model within the industry as a “show and tell” of how their nominees challenge convention and pave the way for improvements across the construction industry.

A word from our outgoing chair, Anna Schabel

Thank you for attending our event last week. It was a very emotional moment to hand over as the chair after four years, but I am also excited to see where the next chapter will take WIA. It has been a huge privilege to be part of this journey, in the footsteps of Kate Macintosh, the first chair of WAG (Women Architects Group), as it was called then, and later Sumita Singha OBE and Angela Brady OBE, former chairs of WIA.
I mainly want to thank the fantastic committee without which nothing would have happened. When we took over after a long break, we went back to first principles and looked at what the actual situation for women architects and wrote a new manifesto. We wanted to create a space for everyone to have a voice in the profession and not rely on patriarchist systems and structures. From the first principles we built up a network, provided spaces for exchange, learning and mentoring, challenged the status quo, carried out a survey report of our community, worked with amazing women all over the country and internationally and stood up for change. It was a lot of hard work for everyone involved on a volunteering basis and a huge commitment, but also very rewarding and fun! So thanks, team, it has been wonderful! Talking about people who break the bias- it has been you!
I also want to say a big thanks to all of you and our community for your on-going support. Please stay in touch via our newsletter, join our volunteers and come to our events- everyone of you counts!
- Anna Schabel

A Celebration of Role Models

Laura Collins spoke about Grafton Architects, led by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara. Grafton Architects role model collaboration and female leadership. They are a great example of a successful practice and partnership led by two women figureheads. Their award-winning project portfolio demonstrates sensitivity to place, context, materiality and humanity. They credit the blend of their personalities and skillsets in creating a dynamic working relationship and attribute their successes to the great teams they work with and the people behind them.

Bridget Munro spoke about Lesley Loko. The curator of the 2023 Venice Biennale, Lesley Lokko, is a force for change. She is the recipient of numerous prizes and accolades, including the 2020 RIBA Annie Spink Award and the 2021 Ada Louise Huxtable Prize. She has pioneered for and cultivated critical debate around identity, race and racism in architecture. Founder of the University of Johannesburg GSA, she has taught at numerous institutions worldwide. She is galvanising our profession to be more inclusive, pluralistic, and open. We are all indebted to her tenacity and profound commitment to building an equal profession.

Actions to #breakthe bias

Courtesy of gender consulting firm Ywomen, we can take these positive actions to #breakthebias:

I will LISTEN, LEARN, LEAD and have the WILL to advocate for the recruitment, advancement, retention and equitable treatment of all women and other underrepresented groups in the workplace, utilising a lens of intersectionality, realising that everyone’s experience is unique.

LISTEN: Reach out and seeek to understand

LEAD: Create a departmental business case / Encourage qualified applicates to apply / Demonstrate inclusive leadership

LEARN: Mentor and sponsor / Engage with the research

THE WILL: Actively confront discrimination when I see it / Understand the talk with others about privilege / Engage men / Be an advocate

To find out more, download the pledge poster from the YWomen website.

Icebreaker fun

Attendees were asked to draw their prize for winning the awad for being “all-round excellent in services to Women in Architecture”!

Find more photos on our instagram and LinkedIn accounts!

“The WIA IWD2022 event was an energizing and inspiring evening. Being surrounded by so many enthusiastic women in built environment professions, the optimism for a better future was palpable. It’s easy to feel demoralised by the statistics but if this community works together to lift each other up and break the barriers faced by women in architecture, the best is surely yet to come. ”

— attendee

£300 to support Women for Refugee Women

Our evening raised £300 to support Women for Refugee Women, whose work empowers refugee and asylum-seeking women to speak out, becoming leaders and advocates for change.

Thanks to Boss Design

Thanks to Boss Design team for hosting the event!

Please reach out to Elspeth Neilan eneilan@bossdesign.com and Jade Snelling jsnelling@bossdesign.com if you would like to see more of their showroom and products.

WIA aplogise to the many folk who tried and could not get tickets to this sold out event. In future we will increase the numbers, ensure a waiting list for returned tickets, and look forward to seeing you there!