The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) is ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.’ While this is a new topic for IWD, it’s a debate that’s been running in the interiors and architecture industry for some years.
When women thrive, humanity thrives. The Women’s Pavilion Majlis at Expo 2020 Dubai has explored the contribution women have made to the sustainable design movement.
As Expo draws to a close in March 2022, we look at the achievements and legacy of the Pavilion and also the contribution of women architects and designers from the MENA to the charge on climate change.
Greener gender?
‘Women in Green: Voices of Sustainable Design‘ was published in 2007 to celebrate women’s contributions to sustainable design.
In it, co-authors Kira Gould and Lance Hosey explore the connections between diversity, ecology, and innovation and started a dialogue about how diversity can promote greater progress toward sustainability. It inspired or influenced the formation of various ‘Women in Green’ leadership groups and events across the US and beyond.
Nearly 15 years later, CID revisits dialogues from ‘Women in Green’ and presents them to professional women in the Middle East. CID also looks at the event in the context of Expo 2020 Dubai, a significant architectural event with strongly defined themes of both womanhood and sustainability.
We ask, is there a greener gender? Does sustainable design have special appeal for women, and do they in turn offer something unique and gender-specific to the field? CID speaks to women thought leaders from the region to find out the implications for the interior design industry.
Outside of gender definition, they tell us the key challenges that designers are facing regarding sustainability in commercial interior design and the biggest changes or improvements they’ve seen during their time in the design sector.
We also interviewed the women architects of the Expo 2020 country pavilions and hear the role of the Women’s Pavilion in championing the belief that gender equality is critical for sustainability success.
Make sure to watch this space to know more about the design conversations around gender and sustainability…
International Women’s Day
This year’s theme recognizes the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.
ITP Media Group and UN Women are proud to work together to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Arab States.
