At Work in the World
Stimson works to solve problems differently than most policy organizations. We match academic rigor with practical experience, conducting on-the-ground field research, engaging new perspectives, and involving new constituencies.
Technology has rightly empowered new voices, including those of previously-marginalized communities, bringing new perspectives, energy, and ideas to a host of challenges. We believe those voices are essential to tackling a wide range of international challenges, and many of our projects work closely with them to turn policy ideas into actions with real-world impact.
As a result, many of our projects directly reflect the importance of equity, inclusion, human rights, and the engagement of diverse voices:
- Increasing international security is not just geopolitics; it means making communities and people safer. Making the international arms trade more responsible helps protect disempowered groups from violence. When prevention fails, the Center commits to ameliorating consequences of conflict on human health, sustainable development, and the safety and well-being of families in former war zones.
- Promoting shared prosperity means we care about more than GDP; we also care about equity. We’re working with less wealthy countries to increase their access to the global economy, building tools to help the most vulnerable protect themselves from climate change, and increasing access to renewable energy.
- Everyone is owed justice. In our work that means being a lead convener on atrocities issues and working to protect the rights of civilian caught in conflict areas. We’re strengthening the institutions of international justice and human rights and using transparency to protect the rights of the many millions who live along one of the world’s largest rivers.
These activities are a demonstration of Stimson’s commitment to our values, and of the role that inclusiveness and recognition of historical inequity have in our work.
In Our Workplace & Community
As an employer, we strive to maximize gender, racial, ethnic, and all other forms of workforce diversity, both to attract the best talent available and to further our own understanding of society and our role in it.
As part of a broader policy community, we aim to improve our promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion while modeling best practices. We are proud to have been recognized for our work to promote gender diversity and inclusion in particular. According to the 2018 Women in International Security Gender Scorecard, Stimson ranks #1 for the percentage of women in expert roles. And the Washington Post reports that we came second among DC think tanks in promoting gender diversity in our public discussions.
Stimson’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at our DC headquarters and in the policy community are managed by a ten-member Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee with support from senior leadership. The Stimson DE&I Committee promotes and fosters diversity, equity and inclusion at Stimson, in our community, and in the field of international security. The DE&I Committee builds resources, conducts outreach, influences Stimson’s policies and products, and engages with current and prospective Stimson staff and the broader community to achieve these goals.
Stimson DE&I priority areas:
- Featuring diverse voices by way of employing a diverse workforce,
- Incorporating DE&I in Stimson’s core programming and activities,
- Empowering and supporting staff professional development, and
- Equipping Stimson with the tools to monitor progress towards its goals.
Specific Initiatives
In addition to the ongoing work of the DE&I committee, Stimson participates in additional initiatives:
Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy
Stimson’s President & CEO, Brian Finlay, is a member of Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy, a leadership network that brings together heads of organizations working on nuclear policy who are committed to breaking down gender barriers and promoting gender equality in the workplace.
As a Gender Champion, our President has signed a panel parity pledge to make an effort to ensure that external panels on which he participates have sought to achieve gender diversity.
As a Gender Champion institution, Stimson has also pledged to:
- Develop a toolkit for all of its programs offering workable strategies on how to incorporate a gender perspective in activities and project deliverables,
- Institute a targeted professional development plan to diversify the pipeline and professional growth of early-to mid-career women, and
- Educate all staff on policies, informed by best practices, related to reporting and responding to sexual harassment.
Learn more about the Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy initiative.
Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS)
Stimson leadership, including the President and CEO and the Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, participate in the WCAPS, Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation. Led by Executive Director Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, WCAPS works to increase racial diversity in foreign and security policy. The group engages and collaborates with think tanks, government, nongovernmental organizations, funders, and academic and research institutions to increase diversity and inclusion, particularly regarding people of color, in their professional staff and in positions of decision making, by analyzing the current state, identifying challenges, addressing issues, and developing short-term and long-term actionable strategies. Our President was also a founding member of the Consortium to Increase Diversity in Foreign and Security Policy (CIDIPS)
Gender & Public Events
Stimson monitors and shares annual data on the gender of speakers at public events.
A note on data: The chart includes any people who have a speaking role at an event which was open to the general public either in-person or online. The count includes moderators because in the vast majority of cases, a female moderator was the Director of the program hosting the event. Since early 2022, event speakers self-report gender with options for Female, Male, Non-binary/Non-conforming, Not Listed/Write Own, and Prefer not to Answer.
Workforce Demographics
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are among the Stimson Center’s core values. We also believe in transparency, both as a method of holding ourselves to public account for the values we claim, and to help further cement norms and values in the broader policy community of which we are a part. This report on Stimson’s workforce demographics furthers these goals by highlighting the diversity, equity, and inclusion successes we are proud of, identifying areas where action may be needed, and modeling a best practice for our community.
What is Measured
This report includes aggregate and subgroup data on gender, race and ethnicity, and generation. Diversity is, of course, not limited to these categories and within each category people share a wide range of experiences. Even the categories themselves are part of the broader social debate about diversity, equity, and inclusion. While they may be imperfect, we are using federal government categories for gender and race and ethnicity because they are consistent with existing reporting requirements. We use Pew Research Center definitions for generations. We acknowledge that these measurements and categories are an incomplete reflection of the diversity of people and experience.
This report is updated approximately annually. The data in this report are snapshots in time. 2022 data is accurate as of December of that year; 2021 data is accurate as of August for staff and board members and November for affiliates. 2020 data was as of late July, 2020.
The 2022 data covers all Stimson Center employees, affiliates of the institution, and our Board of Directors. As of December, 2022 the Stimson Center employed 64 people, had 27 Board members, and 62 affiliates. The report does not include the few individuals who did not respond to data collection requests.
Employees
This report organizes employees into groups which generally reflect our management structure and responsibilities:
- Leadership & Management Team (5). The President, Vice President, and Directors of the Communications, Development, Finance, and Human Resources/Administration departments.
- Senior Staff (15). The Directors and Deputy Directors of policy programs.
- Research Staff (36). The staff of policy programs, such as Research Analysts.
- Operations Staff (8). The staff of Communications, Development, Finance, and Human Resources/Administration.
Change over time
Affiliates
Affiliates are people who have a relationship with Stimson but are not employees. There are three groups of affiliates: Adjunct Senior Fellows, Non-Resident Fellows, and Distinguished Senior Fellows/Senior Advisors. They are reported together.
Board of Directors
As the governing body of the Stimson Center, the Board of Directors is responsible for the oversight of all activities of Stimson to ensure sound financial and managerial practice and protect the integrity of the institution, its reputation and projects. Board membership is a volunteer position.