On International Women’s Day, the Australian Institute of Architects awarded the 2023 Paula Whitman Leadership in Gender Equity Prize, recognizing exceptional female leadership in the industry in areas of gender equity.
Emma Williamson, West Australian Fellow of the Institute of Architects and co-founder of The Fulcrum Agency, has been recognized for her longstanding commitment to social issues and her practical work to overcome workplace inequity.
The Institute acknowledges Williamson’s advocacy for women and her “outstanding” contribution to the wider industry. The jury said Williamson’s contribution “embodies the very definition of the prize” through her education of the profession on the ethical responsibilities and moral obligations of architects.
Williamson was the inaugural chair of the Institute’s National Committee for Gender Equity and has been active in gender advocacy roles for more than a decade.
“She has also demonstrated the value of this advocacy through a more relevant model of practice that builds on these core values,” the jury said. “Williamson’s reflections on the imbalance and inequities apparent on social and business fronts have resonated both inside and outside of our profession. At the same time, they have empowered an intergenerational discourse that encourages equity in all aspects of what we do.”
The jury for the Paula Whitman Leadership in Gender Equity Prize comprised immediate past national president Tony Giannone (chair), National Committee for Gender Equity co-chair Marika Neustupny, Julie Willis from the University of Melbourne, EmAGN president Tiffany Lieu, and SONA president Nicole Mesquita-Mendes.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
