Architect celebrates opportunities for women in Hong Kong
Working mother sees no gender barrier and need to sacrifice family time unlike in the US
After a four-year stint in the United States, architect Phiyona Au Yeung Ming-sze went back to the drawing board with her career options. That meant a return to Hong Kong to escape a sexist work culture.
"Hong Kong offers better promotion opportunities for female architects, compared with the US. In Hong Kong, the boss is not concerned whether you are female or male," Au Yeung said. "But in the US, when my boss allocated work, he would tell me that he gave me the opportunity because I'm a woman."
In 2003, she left her Seattle employer to join Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers (DLN), a major player in the Hong Kong industry, and was made a director within five years.
"The best working environment is when the bosses forget your gender," said Au Yeung, who likened the environment at her former US employer to "a men's club".
About 40 per cent of architecture students in Britain and the US are female, a survey by the in 2012 found. But most do not stay in the profession.
Only 20 per cent of British-registered architects are women, and they account for just 16 per cent of architects in the US.
The need for more flexible work arrangements was identified as a factor by women for leaving the industry.
