Zaha Hadid was the first woman to be respected in the field of architecture, which had long been dominated by men.
Originally from Iraq, after studing Maths at the American University of Beirut and Architecture in London, she led and became the voice of the deconstructivism movement.
The buildings she designed are characterised by audacious and curvy shapes and beautiful plays on light.
You will surely have seen at least one, either in real life or in a photo: some of the most famous are the MAXXI Museum in Rome, the London Aquatics Centre and the Guangzhou Opera House.
Despite the difficulties and obstacles that she had to face during her career, Hadid managed to become an archistar and obtain a lot of prestigious awards.
For example, she was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for Architecture, and the gold medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Moreover, in 2008 Forbes magazine featured her in the top 100 most powerful women in the world.
Not everyone knows, however, that Hadid, who died in 2016 from a heart attack, was also an ardent feminist and an activist for equal opportunities. In different occasions, the architect spoke openly about the difficulties she had encountered during her career and she showed her support towards other women, trying to open doors for them in the world of architecture.
In an interview with CNN Hadid said:โYes, I’m a feminist, because I see all women as smart, gifted and tough”.
This sentence really impressed me because it showed how convinced Hadid was about the undeniable value and potential of women.
Her support drove her to fight against the glass ceiling. She wanted to be a role model for all those young girls that felt discouraged from taking certain paths because of prejudice and for all those female workers who underestimated their capacities when compared to their male colleagues.
I believe that Hadid, at least partially, succeeded in her goal. Although there is a long way to go, the number of female architects and aspiring female architects is growing more and more everyday. The same is happening in other fields, which have been traditionally dominated by men.
