Gender pay equity in the museum community

The long-standing and systemic gender pay gap among museum leaders has been a thorny area. (Washington Post illustration/iStock)

Dear Colleagues,

I wanted to bring to your attention a recently published article in The Washington Post about gender pay equity in museums and cultural institutions.

As a person whose career has been shaped by the ideals of equity and fairness, I continue to be guided by those principles. Under my watch, the Institution will always work to compensate all our employees fairly.
It is an unfortunate fact that the Smithsonian cannot always pay the same salaries that the external market commands. Internally, we want to ensure that there is equity and transparency, especially relating to gender, race, and ethnicity. Like us, most museums and cultural organizations grapple with these issues.

As the article points out, the Smithsonian has made positive changes in making compensation more equitable. For instance, as reported by the Torch in 1978, only 5% of people employed at the GS-15 level and above were women. Today, nearly 40% of those in that grade range are women. In addition, 48% of women employed at the Smithsonian fall within the GS-13 to GS-15 and senior-leadership range, representing a strong pipeline for future growth. That is progress, and it is a testament to the work we have done and continue to do to recruit and promote women at all levels.

While the article minimizes other considerations in compensation including tenure, market rates, and funding mechanisms, I agree that more progress needs to be made. We can all acknowledge what we have accomplished thus far, but we need to continue to do better.

I believe that we have one of the best workforces in the country. I want you to know that together with the Regents and senior leadership, I am committed to addressing these challenges at all levels of our organization. The Smithsonian will lead and listen to better improve our processes and outcomes.

Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to the Smithsonian. If you have any questions or thoughts on this issue, please feel free to contact me or John Davis.

Lonnie Bunch
Secretary

Related posts:

ICYMI: Highlights from the week that was Dec. 10 – Dec. 16, 2017 Era Marshall will retire later this year By investigating death, the Zoo’s Kali Holder gathers lessons on life ICYMI: Highlights from the week that was Jan. 5 – Jan. 12, 2019