Office of the Historian

153. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Equal Employment Opportunity (Pinckney) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Management (Eagleburger)1

Washington, March 3, 1976.

SUBJECT

  • Status of Women Employees

Statistics on women employees as of December 31, 1975 are attached.2 Highlights in representation vis-à-vis December 31, 1974 are:

  • —Overall total up 1% (from 37% to 38%)
  • —Total FS up 1% (from 25% to 26%)
  • —FSO up 1% (from 8% to 9%)
  • —FSR up 3% (from 16% to 19%)
  • —FSRU no change (remains at 9%)
  • —FSS up 2% (from 54% to 56%)
  • —Total GS up 1% (from 66% to 67%)

Unfortunately no dramatic improvements are visible. In fact, it could be argued that we have retrogressed because the Foreign Service Staff and Civil Service, sometimes perceived as second class citizenship, are becoming more female which suggests we do not allow women first class citizenship too readily.

We should also take note of the fact that, as of December 31, 1975, 33% of the Department’s women are at the support level vs. 32% in 1974. A particularly worrisome slippage has occurred in the Civil Service ranks where 47% of the total GS women are now at the support level vs. 43% a year ago. In other words, rather than moving upward and out of the lowest ranks our women in that area are increasing.

A related situation appears at the Junior Officer level where in 1975 women are 53% of their total vs. 54% in 1974. A decline there might be acceptable if there were an increase at the middle and senior levels. But such is not the case. Women at the middle level represent a static 13% of their total in both 1975 and 1974; at the senior level, women remain less than 1% of their total in both years.

It is clear that the initiatives begun in 1975 (target recruitment, EEO briefings, middle level program, etc.) must be continued and that other [Page 533] initiatives are probably needed to improve the representation of women at State.

M/EEO is developing similar statistics on minorities which will be sent to you later this month.3

  1. Source: Department of State, Policy and Procedural Files of the Deputy Under Secretary for Management: Lot 79 D 63, M Chron, March 1976 A. No classification marking. A copy was sent to Laise. A handwritten note by Eagleburger addressed to Laise reads: “CL—Let’s talk. LSE.”↩
  2. Not found attached.↩
  3. Not found.↩