International Women’s Day is on Sunday 8 March. This year, the theme is Each for Equal, which encompasses the drive to forge an equal society individually and collectively, as an equal world is an enabled world.
At the Australian Institute of Architects, we agree that equality is not just a women’s issue. Our industry is at its best when we collaborate with and respect people of all genders and identities, and we’re proud to say that the Australian architecture community is doing just that. For example, in New South Wales, every senior architect position is currently held by a woman, and we have gender equality across our chapter presidents.
Inspiring and supporting the next generation of architects is an important aim of the Institute. A study by The University of Sydney, published in 2018, showed that only two in five working women could access free or affordable training which was needed to boost their career.
This is why initiatives like our National Mentoring Program are so important, and we encourage senior architects to get involved, as it’s a great way to give back and offer advice and feedback to a student, graduate or emerging architect.
We’re hosting events to mark International Women’s Day across the country, including breakfasts and networking events and even a trivia night, so make sure you check our website and your chapter social media pages for details.
We wish everyone a happy International Women’s Day and look forward to working with all of our members to support a diverse and inclusive community.
