AIDIA – Italian Association of Women Engineers and Architects is an Italian non-profit organisation. Since 1957, it has brought together women professionals working in architecture, engineering and technical design.
Created to encourage solidarity among women colleagues, the association supports the value of women’s work in technical disciplines. It also promotes dialogue, professional growth and collaboration across different fields.
Its members include architects, engineers, researchers, academics, public-sector professionals, private-sector experts and independent practitioners. Today, this national network connects skills, experience and professional relationships across Italy.
Its mission is clear: to give greater visibility to women in architecture, engineering and technical professions. At the same time, it supports a more open and inclusive culture of design.
The history of AIDIA
AIDIA’s story began on 26 January 1957. At that time, women graduates in engineering and architecture still had to strongly affirm their professional role.
For this reason, the association was created as a space for exchange, support and growth. It gave women professionals a shared voice in technical fields that were still largely dominated by men.
Over the years, AIDIA has supported the changing role of women in technical professions. It has helped recognise their expertise, protect the rights of women graduates and build a wider professional network.
As a result, its history is shaped by women, careers and visions that opened new opportunities for later generations.
AIDIA’s role in architecture and engineering
The role of AIDIA develops across several areas. These include cultural promotion, professional training, institutional relations and the recognition of women in technical sectors.
The association organises conferences, lectures, training courses, study meetings and professional development initiatives. These activities focus on architecture, engineering, research and professional innovation.
Alongside its educational work, AIDIA collaborates with institutions, professional bodies, universities, cultural organisations and national and international associations. Through these partnerships, it encourages cultural and professional exchange.
In addition, this work makes the contribution of women in technical fields more visible and widely recognised.
Active local sections across Italy strengthen this mission. They create a broad network of professionals with different backgrounds, skills and areas of expertise.
A network of women professionals across Italy
AIDIA members work in many fields, including architecture, engineering, urban planning, research, education, public administration, business and independent practice.
This diversity is one of the association’s main strengths. Rather than representing only one professional category, AIDIA brings together a community of women with shared knowledge, experience and goals.
Through dialogue among its members, the association encourages continuous professional and cultural growth. It also supports students and younger professionals through dedicated initiatives such as Green AIDIA.
The partnership with Archi&Interiors
The presence of AIDIA on Archi&Interiors comes from a shared vision. Both projects aim to tell the story of design through expertise, professional experience and meaningful perspectives.
On one side, AIDIA has promoted the work of women in technical professions for almost seventy years. On the other, Archi&Interiors explores design, architecture and the culture of living with an accessible and authoritative editorial voice.
Therefore, this collaboration becomes an opportunity to highlight women’s careers, skills and professional experiences. It also gives space to the contribution they make every day to the quality of architecture and engineering projects in Italy.