The Design Museum to host event celebrating women's work in design

The Design Museum in London has announced it will be hosting a two-day ‘Women Design’ event to celebrate women’s work in the UK design workforce and address gender representation in the sector.

Taking place between 7-8 December, the event is intended to stimulate debate about the lack of gender diversity in the sector and will feature talks from emerging designers taking part in the ‘Designers in Residence’ project, which for the first time this year has an exclusively female lineup.

Co-director of the Design Museum Alice Black said in a statement: “The fact that the percentage of women working in the design workforce has remained virtually unchanged since 2004 shows a real failure to draw on all the talents out there, and promote inclusiveness in our industry.”

Design curator, writer and consultant Libby Sellers added: “While we might think that women’s voices are echoing around the world right now through the Time's Up and #MeToo movements, in design publications, conferences, judging panels and other public realms, women designers tend to be outnumbered by their male counterparts.

“Whatever the rationale behind the gender bias, it has already eliminated or repressed an overwhelming majority of talent in the industry. To continue without championing a balance, would only encourage an impoverished future for design as a result.”