‘An equal opportunity to spy?’ comparing women’s employment, empowerment, and institutional change in MI5 and the CIA

2025/06/07 by Jess Shahan · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Communism, Protests, Social Movements #Gender, Security, and Conflict #Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics

paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/02684527.2025.2506285

openalex publication_date 2025/06/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02

Abstract

This article explores how the process of change in women’s employment within intelligence was navigated from the 1960s to the 1980s by comparing organisational responses and women’s experiences in both the CIA and MI5. It argues that multiple variables were necessary to break down barriers for women in intelligence, including broader socio-cultural transformation, the introduction of legal protections and anti-discrimination legislation, institutional change, and women’s activism. The combination of these factors was necessary for change in the intelligence sector.

Citations

• Addressing ‘This Woeful Imbalance’: Efforts to Improve Women's Representation at CIA, 1947–2014
• “Don’t keep mum”: critical approaches to the narratives of women intelligence professionals
• #ForgetJamesBond: diversity, inclusion and the UK’s intelligence agencies

Discussions

• A new open access article. doi.org/10.1080/0268... [bsky, 5 points, 0 comments]

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