My name is Catalina Ionita and I am an Architect and ongoing PhD researcher seeking to create some disruption in my field.

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I have been feeling the most isolated I have ever been during the Covid-19 lockdown, a thought came to me: I wonder if others in my field are feeling the same?

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As the only student researcher in the Architecture department in my institution and the only woman Architect in the studio I work for, it is often overwhelming how lonely it can get.

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This was only emphasised further by the current global pandemic. As a very social and active person myself, I am finding this time to be incredibly difficult. I have realised that one of the things I miss most is being part of a community of women, from whom to learn about the challenges of my chosen profession and the obstacles I may encounter along my academic route.

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For those of you out there who are not that familiar with the academic field, let me start by introducing some general facts. Across the globe, there is an alarming lack of female representation in the highest levels of many fields and parity in most areas of public life seems to be a recurring theme. The picture is even worse for women of colour, who are missing altogether from the leadership levels of a vast majority of sectors.

The Fawcett Report 2020 reveals stark inequalities dominating the UK now:

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• POLITICS: Women now cover 34% of MPs and 30% of Cabinet Ministers. This is an improvement from previous years, but progress is still very slow. There are no women of colour in the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales or Northern Ireland Assembly.

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• CIVIL SERVICE: 21% of the Civil Service Board is taken by women and 35% of permanent secretaries. There are no women of colour in these positions.

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• LAW: Women hold a quarter of the senior judiciary positions. However only 17% for the Supreme Court.

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• EDUCATION: Women occupy 30% of University Vice-Chancellors positions.

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• BUSINESS: Women make up for 6% of the CEO positions of FTSE 100 companies - this translates to just over one in 20 CEOs. None of these CEOs are women of colour.

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• MEDIA & ARTS: Women occupy a stark minority across all media and arts areas. For instance, women make up only 21% of national newspaper editors, with only four women in leadership positions.

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Women are also consistently missing from high level jobs in charities, trade unions, professional and sports bodies, and, in this instance – academia.

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‘Under-representation is consistent and persistent across sectors. Women of colour, disabled women, and LGBTQ+ people face intersecting barriers and discrimination meaning they may be even less likely to be represented.’ (Fawcett Society, Sex and Power 2020)

 

This absence of women is not because they have done something wrong. On the contrary, women continue to experience discrimination, harassment, and hierarchical obstacles in their journeys to the top positions that govern our public, political, and economic environments.

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Re-watching strategist and placemaker, Alex Notay’s  TEDxStormontWomen talk ‘Finding Your Cheerleaders’ an idea sparked to my mind – why don’t we start to challenge these facts?

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It was with a laptop, access to the internet and tons of excitement that I started my platform. Whilst still in its baby-phase, I am proud to have finally found the courage to speak up.

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The name of the platform has been inspired from the Spanish 'Académicas', which is the plural and feminine of 'académico' which means academic. The English language does not have grammatical gender which frequently leads to preconceptions that a specific role can only be filled by a man. This is affecting women in the academic field all over the world who are still suffering from gender inequality and discrimination.

I’d like to state that whilst this forum is aimed at women, it is also welcoming of anyone (regardless of their gender and social background) who feel like they want to contribute, support and raise awareness about the challenges of our field.

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I note this because since its release online, the platform, myself and my mentor, Devika Wood, have been exposed to some stark online abuse, due to our aim to include women who were not female at birth. I have found the hundreds of tweets surprising, offensive and hurtful. I remembered coming across a powerful blog post from Dr Ruth Pearce, social researcher, specialising in transgender studies, women’s studies, and feminist theory saying:

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‘When academics and journalists “come out” as “gender critical”, scaremongering about changes to the law we have been fighting for decades, representing trans women and girls as sexual predators, debating our access to legal rights and public spaces and women’s services, I wonder if they know who we are, what our stories are, what our experiences are like. Is it simply that they don’t know any trans people, that they are ignorant? Or is there a deeper cause for their hatred? Do they realise they sound less like feminists, and more like the fundamentalist religious right?’

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I am an advocate for women’s rights and a strong believer in inclusivity and I am making a statement that my platform will never exclude those who want to be part of it.

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A significant obstacle in challenging the inequality facing women in our field is the lack of support.

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I therefore make it my absolute pledge to change that.

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Today.

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Now.

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