The women’s empowerment house is about the process of construction instead of merely designing a structure for promoting gender equality. We aim to turn the house’s construction process into an empowerment program. A ceramic kiln and a brick press allow the community to make durable terracotta tiles and compressed stabilized earth blocks. As the vaults and walls take form, a women-run manufacturing cooperative will seed. In addition to the creation of iconic public spaces, these tools, integrated into the women’s house, will have long-lasting effects on women’s economic status and rural development in the village. When the construction is finished, skilled and equipped women will be able to keep the cooperative running and expanding. This model could also be adopted elsewhere in Africa to reduce the gender gap.
