FAMILIARITY IN ARCHITECTURE: Vocational Training and Healthcare Center

Abstract

Gender inequality is a worldwide human rights issue but it is more prevalent in developing countries such as Pakistan. Due to social, cultural and religious perceptions, women are generally considered as having a lower status in society. For this reason, despite making up nearly half of the total population, they face unfair treatment in every walk of life and experience greater inequality in access to health and education. This is more common in poor or lower income households than middle class or higher. Due to lack of schooling and limited opportunities as a result, most poverty-stricken women are forced to work as household domestic workers in order to support their families on minimum wages or less with no social security coverage. "Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world; when women participate in the economy, everyone benefits." (Hillary Clinton) There is a dire need to socially and economically empower women from poor backgrounds so that they can become self-reliant and raise their voices against injustices. The main objective of this thesis is to propose a vocational training and healthcare center for such women to enhance their livelihood opportunities and provide them with basic healthcare facilities. It would also serve as a gathering platform for the women to interact with one another and socially uplift them. The center would target less privileged women in the urban setting and give them an identity and a sense of self. It would offer them the opportunity to learn and develop different skills for better income-earning prospects. The program would focus on gender sensitive spaces and provide a secure environment for learning and healing. It would also contribute towards the creation of social bonds to result in a sense of community. The design would be based on vernacular strategies in order to have a stronger cultural association with the area and the users. The center would aim to not only improve the financial and health conditions of women but also their image in the community.