FUTURARC INTERVIEW
There’s a general perception that
architecture is often seen as a tough profession for women to get a crack at. Unfortunately, that notion helps to create a gender priority, which has to change.
first woman Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranayke. And then architects such as Minnette de Silva—she was the first Asian woman to obtain membership of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). There are many such pioneering women in the present, in different fields—in astrophysics, chemistry, biology and so on. Unfortunately, if we look at our own industry, it says a different story.
In general, parents are encouraging their daughters to do architecture. If I consider my own batch, two-thirds of us were female. But that isn’t the representation when it comes to our own practice. The majority would give up or they play a secondary role, so very few of them remain as practitioners. In summary, I think social expectations need to be transformed, providing a space for women to gain expertise and achieve their career goals and expectations. And for our support groups—partners, parents and families—to be willing to give that space to us. Whenever that space is given, I’ve seen women done extremely well. I know it’s a slow transformation, but it needs to be acknowledged and supported at a societal level, so that it would benefit our future generations.
CL: What kind of support do you think we could put in place to make this change happen more quickly? GR: Maybe it is the tangible support for her own personal growth or maybe it is the psychological support and understanding provided by the people closer to her and the society at large. Nevertheless, making that space available for her to grow and be independent is important. However, this may be highly subjective for different individuals, so I don’t want to pinpoint to say the change should be directed this way or that. Your support group needs to see where you need support, so I think as a society we need to address this, and allow women to find their strengths and be successful in their careers.
CL: Would you say you have that support group in your own life? GR: I do. My partner and parents have been really supportive throughout my journey. And that doesn’t mean to a certain extent that I am relieved from those societal expectations. Even the encouragement and appreciation; allowing you to have the space to do what you want to do; and supporting you to be who you are, to find yourself and your strengths, are a massive support.
CL: In Sri Lanka, for example, if there are women aspiring to be architects or designers, or basically going into the architecture, engineering or construction industry, what advice would you give them regarding the challenges ahead? If let’s say they do not have a supportive family or social background, what do you think they could do in order not to give up their ambitions or career aspirations? GR: When it comes to our profession, there’s a general perception that architecture is often seen as a tough profession for women to get a crack at. Unfortunately, that notion helps to create a gender priority, which has to change. And because of this we are limiting our own professional contributions to a certain portion or sector of the industry. It’s like we are not getting our opportunities to work on varied projects,
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