V&A set to hire more men to be more inclusive

The V&A laid down representation targets to be achieved by April 2025 - MAURICE SAVAGE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is trying to hire more men to make the museum’s staff more “reflective” of the general public.

A diversity and inclusion report for January to March 2024 stated that the museum wants men to make up 30 per cent of its staff and women to make up the remaining 70 per cent.

However, in March 2024, women made up 74.8 per cent of staff and men 25.2 per cent - meaning the museum was trailing behind its target.

The report showed that the gender gap had widened since March 2023, when men made up 26.5 per cent of staff and women 73.5 per cent.

Separately, the museum also said it aimed for 20 per cent of staff to come from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, but currently, that number stands at 17.2 per cent.

A different section of the report, entitled “Diversity Targets”, details the group’s representation targets by April 2025. The target for male representation was set at 26 to 30 per cent, while staff of minority ethnic groups were set at 16 to 20 per cent.

The gender gap in the V&A had widened since March 2023 - JEFF GREENBERG/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP EDITORIAL

A spokesman for the museum said: “As part of our ongoing equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, we are striving to ensure our workforce is reflective of the public we serve.

“We have made good progress in recent years on creating a diverse staff body, but have more work to do on gender, ethnicity and social class.”

Asked whether the museum would discriminate positively in favour of the man if presented with an equally qualified woman, the spokesman said: “We are continually working to diversify our workforce.”

‘Positive sign’

Richard Reeves, the president of the American institute for boys and men, said he was “thrilled” at the V&A’s strategy to increase the number of male employees.

He said: “This is a really positive sign. People are realising that if we are serious about gender equality, we have to be serious about it in both directions.

“Representation of gender equality and diversity in this case means being pro-men. We can recognise that there are still areas in society, where women have to be promoted and are underrepresented, but it’s also true the other way around.

“I hope that this is another sign that we are getting past what has been a paralysing, zero-sum approach to gender equality, which has meant doing things for women and girls and excluding boys and men.

“That idea has left a dangerous vacuum in our politics and our culture, it’s left many boys and men feeling like they’re not part of this conversation and I’m thrilled that we’re going to do something about it.”

Diversity improves creativity

Asked whether it was a problem that men are underrepresented among V&A staff, Mr Reeves, who is also the author of Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About, said: “I think if you’re a creative organisation, then diversity helps to improve your level of creativity.

“If you’re an institution that’s serving the community in some way or another, in this case, culturally, then representation matters. It’s important that the views, interests and identities of the community as a whole are represented. So in this case, it absolutely does matter. We would think it mattered if it was the other way around.

“It’s great that [V&A] have not only recognised that but are willing to do something about it. I know a lot of institutional leaders that are saying they’re really struggling with this issue but to say something about it publicly is a different thing altogether.

“I honestly do think that where the V&A is leading, others will follow.”

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport declined to comment due to the current election campaign.

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