Women in architecture: Five years on

In October 2003 the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) appointed a University of the West of England (UWE) research team to investigate reasons why a disproportionate number of women were leaving architectural practice. The statistical information available on representation of women within the architectural profession and those going through architectural education and training indicated that there was an issue which needed to be addressed. Whilst the percentage of women entering architectural studies had increased from 27% in 1990 to 38% in 2002/3, the percentage of women within the architectural profession as a whole, at 13%, had remained fairly static for a number of years The UWE team presented 'Why do Women Leave Architecture' in June 2003. Five years on from this research a review of progress has been undertaken. Concentrating mainly on what the organisations whose work can influence architectural education and practice have done in response to the original research, the review examines the responses and actions taken, assesses their effectiveness and provides an update on the situation. The findings are both positive and negative. On the positive side current figures indicate that the overall percentage of women in architecture has increased to 17% and most of the organisations have taken concerns about women leaving architecture seriously, although there is still much more work to do, including a need to find out more about the nature of good practice. The overall conclusion is that a more proactive approach is needed to ensure that women can thrive in the architectural profession, as this is seen as a benefit for both males and females and can contribute to the development of a more diverse profession that reflects the community it serves.