A fresh gender debate is afoot and what’s more it’s wearing pink and saying ‘girl’ without blinking.
Following the publication of the results from the Architectural Review Women in Architecture 2016 Survey (more on this soon), this article by Maria Smith from 2014 is still painfully relevant. The discourse of the moment is very much centred around getting women into the profession through whatever means necessary. What is so interesting about Smith's article is here reevaluation of the debate in terms of femininity. Is it an empty victory when only women who conform to patriarchal norms can succeed? In such a strenuous field as architecture, redefining the criteria of professionalism and success can be beneficial for anyone who has been trodden down by rampant masculinity in the workplace, regardless of their gender.