5.14 GENDER BALANCE71 Table 93 Gender balance, (Architecture) Country
Male (%)
Female (%)
Male Graduates (%)
Female Graduates (%)
Africa
73
27
67
33
Botswana
85
15
70
30
Gambia, The
50
50
50
50
Ghana
50
50
60
40
Kenya
64
36
54
46
Mauritius
70
30
50
50
Nigeria
90
10
85
15
Rwanda
90
10
81
19
South Africa
73
27
63
37
Uganda
70
30
70
30
Zambia
89
11
86
14
Asia
60
40
50
50
Bangladesh
60
40
50
50
India
53
47
53
47
Pakistan
66
34
-
-
Sri Lanka
62
38
48
52
Caribbean & A.
79
21
76
24
Antigua & B.
75
25
70
30
Canada
64
36
61
39
Dominica
100
0
96
4
Trinidad & T.
76
24
-
-
Europe
64
36
-
-
Cyprus
56
44
-
-
Malta
64
36
-
-
United Kingdom
71
29
-
-
Other
67
33
-
-
Hong Kong SAR
67
33
-
-
Pacific
69
31
79
22
Australia
69
31
-
-
Fiji
85
15
85
15
New Zealand
52
48
72
28
71 The issue of gender balance has been a subject of considerable interest in recent years with a continuing trend of more women leaving the architectural profession that men over their lifetime even though the number of women
studying architecture has increased in many places (ref in previous version). The % of female architects in New Zealand has more than doubled since the 2017 survey (from 22% to 48%). Most other countries remain unchanged or have slightly increased (up to 11%). The ratio in Sri Lanka has decreased by 3%. Despite a lower response rate, the ratios for Town Planning are generally higher than in Architecture. Except for South Africa and Nigeria, where responses have been provided for both professions, the percentage of women in planning is approximately twice that of women in architecture. Engineering and Surveying see much lower numbers of women in practice, from 4-10% and 4-30% respectively. This is perhaps not surprising as engineering and surveying have been historically male dominated fields. Nonetheless, it highlights a real need to promote those subjects to women in schools and universities to improve the gender balance.
Survey of the Built Environment Professions in the Commonwealth
111