Gender equity to be researched in landscape architecture

The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) has announced the launch of a gender equity study to investigate the participation of women in landscape architecture and develop strategies to address gender inequity in the profession.

There is currently a lack of critical research into workplace equity within the Australian landscape architecture profession, AILA’s chief executive officer, Tim Arnold said, 

“This is an exciting time for AILA as we take a leadership role as an inclusive, progressive and modern profession.”

The research and action project will be undertaken in collaboration with the research-based advocacy organisation Parlour: women, equity, architecture, and the XYX Lab at Monash University.

Dr Gill Matthewson, who is responsible for the analytics behind much of Parlour’s research into the situation for women in architecture, noted analysis of what women did in the architecture profession shifted the argument "from vague anecdote to undeniable fact." 

“It’s great that AILA is commissioning this work because you need to know what the situation actually is before you can start strategising what to do about it. "I’m very interested to see what the picture is for women in landscape architecture.” 

The project will build on the results of AILA’s 2017 salary survey, which identified concern about gender inequality within landscape architecture.

Of the survey respondents, women represented 70% of the lower paid positions within the profession, while men represent 100% of the high-income earners.

More broadly in Australian society, we know that the full-time worker gender pay gap is about 15% (or $253 per week). 

The Built Environment Channel, who is new partner of AILA and Parlour, has confirmed their financial backing of the research initiative.