WomArchStruggle – Women architects in former Portuguese colonial Africa: gender and struggle for professional recognition (1953-1985)
The primary objective of the WomArchStruggle project is to systematically document and map the history of women who practised architecture in former Portuguese colonial Africa, particularly Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique.
This historical exploration is divided into two distinct phases, (1) the Liberation Wars period: starting from the arrival of the first woman from the metropolis in Africa in 1953, this phase covers the years of the liberation wars; (2) the early years of New Nations: this phase encompasses the period following the Portuguese revolution of 1974 up to the graduation of the first woman in architecture on the African continent, in 1985.
Furthermore, the project aims to compare the diverse life trajectories of these women, encompassing their personal, professional, and academic paths. The project also seeks to shed light on the motivations behind their migratory experiences. Within this context, it is already evident that there were the forerunners, the experts, the locals, as well as the cooperants and, later, the graduates within the African continent. The contributions of these women are of immense significance to the fields of Portuguese architecture history, gender studies, as well as colonial and post-colonial studies.
ISCTE-IUL
Leonor Matos Silva (Co-PI)
Fishermen Neighbourhoods,
Cacuaco [PT/AHU]
Team
Results
PUBLICATIONS
Milheiro, A. V.; Silva, L. M. (2024, forthcoming). Arquitectas Portuguesas em África. Pedrosa, P. & Fávero, N. Arquitetas Portuguesas. Coral Books, Ricardo Afonso. (book following the seminar is in progress)
PAPERS
Milheiro, A.V. (2024). Gendered Work in Former Portuguese Colonial Africa: Mass Labor and Public Works. In O’Mahony, C. (ed.) Special issue Constructing Craft: Contested Regionalities, The Journal of Modern Craft.
Milheiro, A.V. (2024, forthcoming), “Architecture between Colonialism and Independence: Being a Woman Architect in Former Portuguese Africa (1953-1979)”, E. Dainese (ed.).
Silva, L. M. (2004, forthcoming). Women’s Absence from the Public Sphere: A Look at Gender Inequality in Portuguese Architecture Schools. In Brown, M. (Ed.) “(In)visibility of ‘young’ researchers in Europe: a postcolonial perspective”, Postcolonial Directions in Education,
Vita, Francesca (2024, forthcoming). The journey of the architect Milanka Lima Gomes from Yugoslavia to Guinea-Bissau (1974-1998). In E. Dainese (ed.).
PROCEEDINGS
Silva, L. M. (2023, Forthcoming). Women architects graduated in Porto (E(S)BAP/FAUP) and the Portuguese colonial Africa?. Proceeding of the II Congress on the Colonial and Postcolonial Landscapes, Lisbon, Portugal.
Milheiro, A. V. (2023, forthcoming). Narratives on women architects in former Africa colonised by Portuguese rule: professional profiles based on training practices. Proceedings of the ICAG – International Conference on Architecture and Gender, Valencia, Spain
Silva, L. M. (2023, forthcoming). Marriage and the school of architecture in the 1940s: the case of B. (Lisbon, 1926-). Proceedings of the ICAG – International Conference on Architecture and Gender, Valencia, Spain.
ABSTRACTS
Silva, L. M. (2023). Women architects graduated in Oporto (E(S)BAP/FAUP) and the Portuguese colonial Africa. Book of Abstracts of the II Congress on the Colonial and Postcolonial Landscapes, Lisbon, Portugal.
CHAIRS
Silva, L. M. (2022). Session 15: Learning from (and for) Africa. Architecture, colonialism and conflict. II Congress on the Colonial and Postcolonial Landscapes, Lisbon, Portugal.
COMMUNICATIONS
Milheiro, A. V (2022). Arquitectura entre colonização e independência: ser arquitecta nos antigos territórios coloniais subsaarianos portugueses (1953-1980). Escola da Cidade, São Paulo, Brazil.
Milheiro, A. V. (2023). Narratives on women architects in former Africa colonised by Portuguese rule: professional profiles based on training practices. ICAG – International Conference on Architecture and Gender, Valencia, Spain.
Silva, L. M. (2023). Marriage and the school of architecture in the 1940s: the case of B. (Lisbon, 1926-). ICAG – International Conference on Architecture and Gender, Valencia, Spain.
Milheiro, A. V. & Silva, L. M. (2023). Women architects in former Portuguese colonial Africa: gender and struggle for professional recognition (1953-1985). Universidade da Beira Interior.
Milherio, A. V. (2023). Being a woman architect during the Colonial War (1961-1974) in Africa. Conferência Guerra e Paz, Novembro 2023 FAUL.
Milheiro, A. V. (2024). On housing. In Gender struggles in architecture, colonialism and housing, CCB June 13 2024.
Silva, L. M. (2004). To research on women architects working in former Portuguese Africa: a gender struggle. In Gender struggles in architecture, colonialism and housing, CCB June 13 2024.
Pedrosa, P. S. & Antunes, L. G. (2024). How to deal with women in Architecture? Notes on recent Portuguese historiography. In Gender struggles in architecture, colonialism and housing, CCB June 13 2024.
Vita, F. (2004). Milanka Lima Gomes: a journey from Yugoslavia to Guinea-Bissau. In Gender struggles in architecture, colonialism and housing, CCB June 13 2024.
Rodrigues, I. L. & Correia, M. A. (2004). First women graduate in Angola: architecture course in Agostinho Neto University. In Gender struggles in architecture, colonialism and housing, CCB June 13 2024.
Figueira, J. (2004). To interview Denise Scott Brown. In Gender struggles in architecture, colonialism and housing, CCB June 13 2024.
Pacheco, M. (2004). To interview Denise Scott Brown. In Gender struggles in architecture, colonialism and housing, CCB June 13 2024.
McLeod, M. (2004). How did women change modern architecture? Furniture, Kitchens, housing. In Gender struggles in architecture, colonialism and housing, CCB June 13 2024.
Milheiro, A. V. (2024). Modern Tropical Interiors in Africa: Carlota Quintanilha’s training and practice (1948-1966). Docomomo ISC/ID Conference 2024: Modernist Women Interior Designers and Artists: to deepen the reading of the different expressions of female creativity. FCG March 8, Lisbon, Portugal.
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR
Centro Cultural de Belém, Sala Fernando Pessoa, 13 Janeiro, 9h30-18h00
Speakers: Ana Vaz Milheiro; Leonor Matos Silva; Maria Assunção Gato; Patrícia Santos Pedrosa; Lia Gil Antunes; Francesca Vita; Inês Lima Rodrigues; Maria Alice Correia; Jorge Figueira; Mónica Pacheco; Mary McLeod
PhD THESIS (ongoing)
Filipa Fiúza
Provisional Title: Os colonatos agrícolas na infraestruturação de Angola. Território, urbanismo e arquitectura desde o colonialismo português oitocentista até à actualidade.
Supervisors: Ana Vaz Milheiro e Miguel Bandeira Jerónimo
MISSIONS
Serbia: Belgrade; 12-15 September 2023; Leonor Matos Silva
Angola: (several towns and villages); 16-27 August 2023; Ana Vaz Milheiro and Filipa Fiúza
MEDIA
Interview to Assunção Paixão by Ana Vaz Milheiro and Filipa Fiúza, 15.01.2023.
Interview to Filomena Espírito Santo by Inês Lima Rodrigues, 09.01.2024
Interview to Leonor Figueira by Leonor Matos Silva, 29.01.2024.
Audioclip of Carlota Quintanilha in an interview conducted by Ana Vaz Milheiro (with Ricardo Lima)
Audioclip of Natália Gomes in an interview conducted by Leonor Matos Silva
