A WOMAN'S PLACE: Opportunity and Culinary Center for Disadvantaged Female Domestic Workers

Abstract

'Women working in the informal sector are unrealized potentials trapped in poverty. It is essential to provide an enabling environment and skills to pull them out ofpoverty.' UNDP Most women across the globe rely on the informal work sector for an income. In developing countries like Pakistan, weak job markets, gender inequality issues, lack of education and limited skill capacity altogether undermine women's abilities to engage in activities that would promote and sustain their economic well-being. Due to a low literacy rate, women with unfortunate living conditions, often supporting their entire families, turn to smaller domestic household work for a steady source of income. This line of work results in less exposure towards opportunity and neglect in upbringing of their children. Domestic house workers make up 75% of Pakistan's informal economy. They make important contributions to the well-being and functioning of families, labor markets and economies, yet this community is the least talked about and gets very little or no representation in the society. Therefore, the purpose of the study to understand the need of economic empowerment of these women and a platform that provides learning opportunities so they may improve their quality of lives and avail decent wages and employment opportunities. The study would focus on the idea of women supporting women through sharing, encouraging and reliance. The main objective of the thesis is to propose a model architectural design that would aim at rehabilitating women by appraising their prior-learned skills such as cooking and developing new ones whilst creating socio-economic opportunities. Women and food have an age-long relationship where cooking often becomes a means of communication and expression. This will be explored in the opportunity/culinary center where disadvantaged women would be further trained in culinary skills of traditional Pakistani cuisine. The center would look at interactive and social learning spaces. It would explore the role of architectural design in achieving a state of well-being and creating a nourishing and uplifting environment.