Gender, culture, and architecture in Ahmedabad and Berlin

Spatial and social processes are inextricably linked. Hence gender relations as an inherent part of social relations get built into the spatial forms of any society. Spatial segregation by sex was a mark of traditional societies. This has diminished somewhat in contemporary societies due to various factors, perhaps the most important being the entry of women into the public sphere and their participation in income-earning activities. This paper looks at traditional, modern and postmodern housing in two cities--Ahmedabad and Berlin--through the lens of gender and culture. While there have been changes in housing over time, these changes have not been in proportion with the changes in gender relations in society which, in turn, have not kept pace with the way women's needs and priorities have changed. Housing must necessarily reflect the current needs of a society, and that entails reflecting the needs of both women and men equally.