RIBA pledges action as new report reveals ongoing gender inequality in architecture
New research commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) reveals persistent gender inequality in the architecture profession, underlining that progress towards equity remains insufficiently slow. The independent study, conducted by the Fawcett Society, surveyed over 600 women working in architecture and combined these insights with national data to provide a comprehensive overview of ongoing challenges. This builds on RIBA’s earlier 2003 investigation, which also highlighted critical barriers women face in the industry.
The report, titled Build It Together: Progress and Planning Towards Gender Equity in the Architecture Sector, exposes entrenched issues such as significant pay disparities, exclusionary workplace cultures, and career setbacks disproportionately experienced by mothers and carers. A striking 83% of respondents indicated that having children negatively impacted their career progression. Moreover, half of the women surveyed reported experiencing harassment or misogyny, yet only 11% regarded their employer’s response as satisfactory. Many pointed to inadequate human resources frameworks, insufficient support mechanisms for maternity and menopause, and inconsistent anti-discrimination procedures as major obstacles to improvement.
Despite these pervasive problems, the report recognises positive initiatives within some practices, including the introduction of flexible working arrangements, transparent promotion criteria, and the emergence of grassroots networks such as Women in Architecture providing peer support and mentoring. The report puts forward 47 recommendations addressed to RIBA, government bodies, and architectural employers, amongst which 20 are specifically aimed at RIBA’s commitment to drive change. The institute has accepted these recommendations and outlined a one-year action plan to implement ten priority measures, such as developing new HR guidance and templates, creating continuing professional development (CPD) resources for career returnees, and enhancing support for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) leads.
Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick, RIBA’s chief executive, emphasised the gravity of the situation in her statement, calling the findings a "gender inequity crisis" and underscoring the importance of retaining talented women by transforming outdated workplace cultures and structures. Penny East, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, echoed this sentiment, acknowledging ongoing disparities but highlighting a determined collective effort within the profession, professional networks, and RIBA to pursue meaningful gender equality.
The report’s recommendations are broad and detailed. For architecture practices, it urges comprehensive employee policies on equality and diversity, transparent monitoring and reporting of workforce diversity, regular wellbeing and culture surveys, and robust parental and carers’ leave policies. It advocates for flexible working as a standard offering, rigorous risk assessments to prevent sexual harassment, explicit behavioural standards, and structured support for mentoring and networking during work hours. RIBA is encouraged to provide accessible, adaptable HR support templates designed with an explicit anti-discrimination focus and to introduce monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, with the possibility of refusing chartership to practices lacking fundamental HR and equality policies.
Further suggested measures include expanding RIBA’s CPD offerings related to managing career breaks, improving transparency around salaries, and mandating salary visibility in job postings. The report pushes for legal reforms such as broadening pay gap reporting to include ethnicity and disability, better enforcement of equal pay laws, and a legislated right for employees to know colleagues' salaries when pay discrimination is suspected.
Government bodies are called upon to reform parental leave, mandate flexible working options by default in job advertisements, and invest in affordable, flexible childcare. The report underscores the importance of intersectional approaches, urging RIBA and employers to incorporate an intersectional feminist lens in their policies and organisational competency.
The findings also shed light on a workplace culture often described as an 'old boys’ club,' with many women reluctant to report harassment due to fears of backlash. The low satisfaction with employer responses to complaints points to a systemic issue requiring cultural as well as procedural shifts. Nonetheless, the presence of inspiring feminist campaigns and supportive networks within the sector offers a foundation for sustainable change.
This latest research aligns with ongoing efforts by RIBA and the Fawcett Society to understand and tackle gender inequity, emphasising the need for collaboration between professional bodies, employers, education providers, and government to implement effective change. The full report provides a roadmap towards an architectural profession that can truly 'Build it Together'—ensuring it becomes a more inclusive, equitable field where talented professionals of all genders can thrive.