Today (Saturday, 8th March) is International Women’s Day (IWD), a global event designed to celebrate the achievements of women while advocating for gender equality. At Steven Dockers Associates, we’re passionate about IWD, as the values of the day firmly align with our principles of inclusion, empowerment, and equality.

All our female clients have an incredible amount of determination and have overcome significant challenges in their lives. Being able to support these individuals is extremely uplifting, and we find the feeling of completing a project and handing the keys over to be incredibly rewarding.

Similar to IWD, our work actively challenges societal barriers, advocating for a world where everyone, regardless of gender or ability, has the opportunity to live with freedom and confidence. IWD is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women in architecture, design, and construction, many of who play a crucial role in helping clients achieve life-changing outcomes.

By recognising and supporting IWD, Steven Docker Associates reinforces its commitment to accessibility, inclusivity, and equality for all.

The Steven Dockers Associates perspective on International Women’s Day

To mark the occasion, we recently sat down with one of our latest hires, Jess Taylor-Jemmett, a Part II Architectural Assistant. Jess supports the design and development of our projects, collaborating with our team of specialists to ensure projects meet the needs of our clients and that the homes we create are designed to enable.

With an architectural career that spans over 13 years, Jess has added practical insight and acumen to her role. In addition to this, Jess is a RIBA member and is currently undertaking her Part 3 studies to achieve status as a fully qualified architect. Working alongside her colleagues in the design and project management team, Jess has been a valuable addition to the team. To learn more about Jess and what she’s passionate about, we caught up with her to discuss IWD and the topics that mean the most to her.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you personally?

I see it as an important catalyst and vehicle for driving greater change for women and moving closer to gender parity. For me, it is also a celebration to acknowledge invaluable contributions made by women who have challenged the norms and paved the way for future generations. As a woman working in the architecture and construction industry, I think it’s also about a call for gender equality, challenging stereotypes, and amplifying women’s voices/empowering change.

Which women have inspired you the most?

My mum has always been an inspiration to me. She is an incredibly strong woman and very much promotes women in leadership. She taught me to fight for anything you believe in. One example I remember is at university; I wanted to do a project based around my passion for humanitarian/social architecture, which involved going to a township in South Africa. My tutor thought it was a terrible idea, but my mum told me if I really wanted to do it and could justify it, then I should go, and I’m grateful to her to this day because I won an award for that project, and my tutors ended up saying that they were really glad I went.

Growing up in Yorkshire and competing in athletics meant I was also hugely inspired by Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill. Throughout her career, she has been an inspirational figure and a shining example of what hard work and dedication can achieve. I think she has been a great role model for young girls, showing them that they too can reach their goals and break boundaries. She has also been a vocal advocate for gender equality and a major driving force for female athletes in the UK. I admire her for winning gold at London 2012 with so much pressure/expectation on her, and to come back and win silver in Rio post-childbirth shows what incredible mental and physical strength she has.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to enter architecture, particularly in the field of accessible home design?

Architecture has so many fantastic career opportunities—don’t be put off by how long it takes to qualify, as there are so many different jobs you can do with just the degree as training.

I would tell them to try and source work experience to see what kind of architecture interests them/gain experience in both larger and smaller practices. I would advocate for them to get a mentor, such as through the Women in Property scheme, which is a great scheme!

Architecture is a beautiful art. It both amazes and challenges me, and although there may be a number of barriers to our professional growth, let's allow these barriers to be something different: momentary hurdles to jump, and let's continue to make this profession the home of the most talented and influential women!

Have there been any women in architecture or design who have influenced your journey?

I don’t think you can be a woman in architecture without having been influenced by Zaha Hadid. She’s queen of the curves and a fearless feminist!

From winning the most prestigious award in architecture, the Pritzker Prize, as well as the UK’s most renowned, the Stirling Prize, twice, to being made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her services to British architecture, she was one of the most celebrated, pioneering, and influential architects in the world and by far the most successful female architect of her time.

I can’t help but be inspired by her confidence and her dauntlessness in speaking against the social and cultural barriers that made her such an icon. She was openly critical of the misogyny in the industry, as well as the lack of female representatives in higher levels of management, and I respect her for speaking out on this topic and encouraging more women to do so.

Do you think the industry has changed in terms of gender balance, and what progress have you seen?

Although roughly half of architecture students are women, only 31% of registered architects are women (based on the ARB’s data from 2023), compared with 69% of men. There is also a gender pay gap of 16% based on evidence from RIBA Business Benchmarking 2023.

I think there are multiple reasons for this, one being gender discrimination and problems of attaining leadership roles, which has clearly served as a barrier to progression for female architects but also society being poorly equipped to help women go back to work after having children. I think this is being spoken about more, but I still believe there is a long way to go.

How can the industry encourage more women to pursue careers in architecture and construction?

Yes, here’s a few of my thoughts:

• Operate transparent, fair and objective promotion procedures
• Introduce sponsorship and support mentoring schemes and networking during working hours
• Consider providing training and development opportunities for women, including leadership training
• Improve workplace flexibility for men and women by offering part-time, remote working, or job sharing or compressed hours to help with retention
• Encourage the uptake of Shared Parental Leave
• Take steps to understand and improve your practice culture to ensure women are equally valued, engaged and supported
• Operate transparent, balanced and objective appraisal and performance review systems using measurable targets.

What are your hopes for the future of women in architecture?

My main hopes are that our career progression is not limited by barriers, be it gender discrimination or the pay gap, resulting in more women in leadership roles/remaining in the industry, particularly post having children.