In Showtime’s Homeland, CIA operative Carrie Mathison works mostly with men, and sometimes she is treated unfairly because of her gender. But it turns out this isn’t what the CIA is actually like these days. Two decades ago, there were many female agents in the field, but zero were in the highest ranks. Now? Four of the five and five of the top eight top agency members are women.
It all changed after the capture of bin Laden, who was followed and discovered by a group of female agents and officers referred to as “the Sisterhood.” The agency’s director John Brennan has seen women perform, and he is dedicated to promoting the best in the field, including women.
It hasn’t always been this way. When the agency’s director of support Sue Gordon first began work, she was asked to carry a heavy suitcase; no men were asked the same, although some were clearly less strong than she was. The change in attitude towards women has changed the agency; in fact, it’s changed the country. Since more women began work at the CIA, people of all genders have better balanced personal lives and work lives. An officer can go pick his or her or hir kid up, and another will take over and make sure the job is done. More missions are successful because of this kind of teamwork, inspired by the ladies!
Thanks to NBC News
Image via Daily Mail
