Italian Architects Demand Gender Equality in Language and Profession

A group of Italian architects—Katia Accossato, Katia Fucci, Marialuisa Palumbo, and Francesca Perani—publish an open letter on Artribune calling for an end to gender discrimination in architecture. They argue that the lack of feminine professional titles (e.g., "architetta" instead of "architetto") reflects systemic exclusion and must be reversed, in line with the Accademia della Crusca's non-discriminatory language guidelines. The authors cite historical figures like June Jordan, who collaborated with Buckminster Fuller on a Harlem project in the 1960s, and Jane Jacobs and Rachel Carson, whose 1961 and 1962 books revolutionized urban and environmental thinking. They highlight the work of activist group RebelArchitette, which since 2017 has documented misogyny in the profession: in 2017–2018, 37% of over 400 events hosted exclusively male speakers, and in 2020, the National Council of Architects appointed an all-male commission for post-Covid recovery. In June 2020, Inarcassa held a conference with 16 male speakers, and in July, regional juries for the Premio In/architettura were all-male. The authors call for visibility, equal opportunities, and an end to verbal violence, referencing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's defense against sexist insults in the U.S. House of Representatives.