ABSTRACT
For as long as most of us have been practising and teaching architecture the fundamental question remains constant. Unfortunately, the creation of a trade union is not the solution that is routinely proposed when yet another set of statistics is published to show that women architects are still lagging far behind their male counterparts. Within those limited ambitions there is no doubt a laudable sentiment, and one that has probably aided the careers of a number of women architects. Furthermore, there seems to be a universal lack of recognition among architects that the absence of any formal workplace protection can routinely lead to abuse and discrimination, ranging from unequal promotion and preferment to harassment and bullying. Of course, these are problems that potentially affect all architects, and they should all be protected against them, but women are particularly vulnerable to these twin issues of unregulated employment and abuses of power.
