Many women have fought both loudly and quietly over the past 50 years so that we could achieve the rights we have today. I thoroughly admire and love each one of them for their courage and determination to confront the discrimination, judgement, and prejudice to achieve the recognition we all deserve.
One woman who truly inspires me is the American architect Denise Scott Brown. She’s fought sexism in architecture since the beginning of her career in the sixties and continues to do so.
She’s become a symbol of change for how women are perceived and treated within the world of architecture. She’s written essays highlighting the blatant and comprehensive inequality suffered by women in the industry, including a lack of recognition for their ideas, designs, and achievements. In one of her essays, she recounts a talk she gave in 1973 to the Alliance of Women in Architecture in New York. She describes it as an awakening of sorts as the hundred or so women who attended realised they all shared the same experience of sexism within the profession and frustration at being forced to endure a man’s world.
Although great strides have been made towards equality, the sector is still strongly male-dominated, despite women accounting for around half of those graduating from architecture schools in the U.S. Shamefully they still earn about 20% less than their male counterparts and many leave the profession shortly after graduating due to the limitations imposed on their careers.
These factors and the overrepresentation of men in the property and design sector is what prompted me to launch Gallies in Sydney this year. It’s a platform that gives women more control over their careers and time. It connects talent with developers needing designers to create renders and other marketing collateral, including social media content, and other digital assets to promote their projects. It’s designed to give women more flexibility, and also reduce their reliance on one employer or company which may not have their interests at heart. It’s also beneficial for developers as it’s a one-stop-shop for their creative and marketing needs.
I often think of Denise Scott Brown and her strength and determination to level the playing field for women in architecture as I pave my own path in a male dominated industry. I would love to hear who inspires you!
