'Hillary Effect' Credited for Rise of Female Diplomats

There are more woman diplos in Washington than ever
By Emily Rauhala,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 11, 2010 6:41 AM CST
'Hillary Effect' Credited for Rise of Female Diplomats
Hillary Clinton delivers the keynote address to the American Pakistan Foundation's Inaugural Gala Benefit in New York, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009.   (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

The number of women diplomats in Washington has jumped five-fold since the 1990s, thanks, in part, to Hillary Clinton. Washington-watchers and female diplomats say the rise of female politicians like Clinton has opened doors for a new cadre of women. "Hillary is so visible," Mozambique ambassador Amelia Matos Sumbana tells the Washington Post. "She makes it easier for presidents to pick a woman for Washington."

Women are still a distinct minority, holding just five of 182 spots, and some wonder if their rise reflects a shift away from diplomacy, toward defense. But Madeleine Albright, for one, dismisses detractors who worry about an increased focus on so-called "soft" issues: "These issues are often the hardest issues: poverty, discrimination, education, and health."
(More diplomacy stories.)

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