RebelArchitette fights gender discrimination in Italian architecture

RebelArchitette, an Italian collective led by architect and activist Francesca Perani, campaigns against gender discrimination in architecture, focusing on language, professional recognition, and equal opportunities. The collective boycotted the 2019 Festa dell'architetto because its title excludes women, advocating for the use of 'architetta' instead of the masculine 'architetto'. They highlight that only five out of 106 Italian professional orders (Bergamo, Rome, Lecce, Naples, Turin) offer feminine-stamped seals, while 13 orders have not considered it, and five (Bologna, Massa Carrara, Milan, Teramo, Terni) explicitly rejected the term. RebelArchitette's research shows that 37% of 411 architecture events in Italy over the last two years featured only male speakers. They support the #boycottmanels initiative by Patrizia Asproni. The collective aims to expand their online book 'Architette=Women architects HERE WE ARE!' into a collaborative platform, and they urge the adoption of feminine professional titles for younger graduates. They criticize the lack of female directors at Domus (only one since 1928) and the absence of a female curator for the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. They expect Alessandro Melis, curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, to be inclusive. RebelArchitette's campaign #timefor50 #tempodiparità calls for equal participation in architecture events.