In India we have glorious architecture for women from women’s quarters, gardens to step wells. Although, always segregated, hidden from public life effectively and efficiently keeping women closer to home, next to the hearth; while civilizations grew outside these safe havens. Indian architecture for women undoubtedly was built around women’s daily chores, their daily needs and is distinct and for lack of any other word simply inspirational. No other architecture is so clearly defined in sharing the stories of its times and this culture for building for women is very Indian indeed.
Without a doubt, women in ancient, medieval and uptorecent modern times, were always included in the design and execution of their own environment. Creating a large repertoire ofspaces for women always built by the female master builders even. Indian culture while undecided about women’s status in society swinging from devi to possession. The culture of architecture was a different story indeed. Women had their own cultural expressions and aspirations. This women centric culture of dance, music, art, story -telling, architecture, rituals and even traditions may seem archaic to the uninitiated but were a form of education, and cultural perpetuation.
Things now have changed, women’s activities have changed witheducation now accessible toall. All women spaces are neglected and as women invade, previously all male spaces in the work force, we face challenges to adapt our previous architecture to current cultural needs. The influences of western education leave out women using public spaces and utilities in large numbers either deliberately by design or simply as an oversight. However, in the many nations I have lived and worked in, women still don’t feel safe, or welcomed or included in public spatial design conversations.
This oversight of several millennia of women centric culture is often addressed in board rooms for equal pay and more capitalistic gains. The more intangible cultural gains of solidarity, sisterhood, bonding, collaboration, cooperation is a conversation that must occur for cultural perpetuity.
Do we still in 2024 need to ask women to adapt to a world predominantly modeled to serve an exclusively male usage and gaze?
I have been fascinated with the movie industry’s trend of ‘women telling women’s stories’. Although a noble thought the movementhas been presented with resistance all over the world reflected with the lack of audience support, lack of capitalistic gains and even a post ME2 wave of media hate.
What is so threatening about women when they try to control their own narratives for their own stories? In other words, the capitalistic machinery of policy, space, design and profit does not see the dollar payback of the woman’s perspective in their own environments or media; despite women having tremendous financial power now. A lot of sales and revenue is generated from the fear-mongering and sale of beauty products from the new empowered woman’s paycheck though. So where is the gap?
Are we able to turn the capitalistic machinery to creating inclusive cultural spaces for women? The concept of a women-friendly environment for women to assert their individuality and sovereignty by experiencing the world tailor-made to suit their needs and aspirations is not new. And by creating these spaces can we start as a whole society enjoying the value that women bring to culture as a whole?
It’s important for me to clarify that as a women veteran of the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, construction) industry anda designer, planner , a space visualizer, I havewitnessed the disproportionate budgets spent on exclusive male spaces and the neglect to update universal spaces to include ‘the women’. The inclusion is a must not just for women but for the handicapable, the voiceless and every other marginalized group. Equality for all. But I am here today advocating for gendered spaces, safe spaces for women, creative spaces where women are not in the male gaze, or judged by society. An ability to create a modern Indian female identity and culture.
We are the civilization with the largest women’s force In the world and the oldest civilization. The wisdom and knowledge the women in India possess is beyond comparison,
It’s a tremendous opportunity lost if we speak about culture and heritage and all aspects of industry, production, economics and not bring back the woman;’s perspective. As we expand our minds and our culture we are sorely depleted of the advantages of all-encompassing spectrum inclusivity for cultural perpetuity.