REPORT ON THE CONCERNS OF FOREIGN SERVICE SPOUSES AND FAMILIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 66
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 28, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 1, 1977
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
- Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
,?1
1 REP ORT ON
THE CONCERNS OF FOREIGN SERVICE SPOUSES AND FAMILIES
J
4
1
American Foreign Service Women
The Forum of the Association of

March, 1977
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
???????
REPORT ON
THE CONCERNS OF FOREIGN SERVICE SPOUSES AND FAMILIES
Prepared by:
The Forum of the Association of
American Foreign Service Women
Written by:
The Steering Committee of the Forum
Lesley Dorman, President -of The
Association of American Foreign Service Women
Jean Vance, Chairman of the Forum
Members of the Steering Committee:
Mavis Barrett, Jessie Bartlett,
Cynthia Chard, Virginia Eagan,
Janet Hawley, Mary Holmes,
Janet Kennedy, Stephanie Smith Kinney,
/MK e
The Forum Report and Recommendations have been approved by
- the Board of-the Association of
American Foreign Service Women
The Women's. Action Organization endorses and supports
strongly the findings of the Forum.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
The Concerns of Foreign Service Families
Background
The AAFSW Forum was established in August, 1976
to identify and analyze "The Concerns of Foreign Service
Women and Families" and to recommend possible actions
that the Department of State might take.
Five study groups--Family Life, the modern Foreign .
Service Wife, Orientation, Re-entry, and Women in Transition
(retirement, widowhood, and divorce)--have met under the
Forum project to consider specific aspects of Foreign
Service life. The chairman of each study group sits on
the Steering Committee, which meets regularly to coordinate
the project.
The Forum attempted to involve as many women as
possible in the project by mailings to over 9,000 Foreign
Service spouses and by publicity in the Department of State
and AAFSW newsletters. All interested spouses, whether
members of AAFSW or not, were invited to participate.
In the Washington area, the Forum collected
information for this report from letters and telephone
conversations, at an Open Meeting held Sunday, November 7,
and at meetings at post. All participation in this pro-
ject has been voluntary.
In addition, the Research Committee on Spouses, the
Spouses' Skills/Talent Bank, and the Workshop for Foreign
Service Families at the Foreign Service Institute have
contributed to the project.
This report concentrates by necessity on the
concerns of Foreign Service families and allows little
room for mentioning the positive benefits of Foreign
Service life. We wish to express our awareness and
appreciation of what is already being done for Foreign
Service employees and their families. We hope that the
forwarding of these concerns will give the families and
the Department of State an opportunity to work together
to make Foreign Service life as rewarding as possible.
I Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
2
The Problem
The concerns of Foreign Service spouses are both
"Service-related" and "role-related." The Forum recognizes
fully the Department of State's willingness and effort to
minimize service-related problems--chose that are caused
or aggravated by constant mobility and world-wide service.
Continued constructive attention to these concerns will
benefit both the Foreign Service and the individual,
improving morale and employee performance.
Role-related.concerns are more difficult to define.
last 15 years, the political, social and economic
\role of women in America has changed significantly. In-
creased mobility, smaller families,.higher levels of
education and economic necessity have combined to alter
ithe American woman's way of life.
In.1960, 33% of the work force were women; today
that percentage is 40.7%, and 48% of American women over
age 16 are gainfully employed outside the home. Women
who do not work occupy an increasingly important role in
the family, in family decision-making, and in the community.
Women are now more independent, economically and socially,//
and are recognized as such by society and by themselves./
e(
In 1972, the Department of State recognized these
societal changes and the increasing dissatisfaction with
the "two for the price of one" philosophy. It declared
that spouses were no longer to be treated as associate
employees of the Department of State, and their contribution
or lack of contribution to the Foreign Service community
could no longer be mentioned in the employee's personnel
file or efficiency reports. The 1972 Policy Statement on
Wives was hailed as an important first step in eliminating
many of the injustices of the past.
However, this policy does not deal effectively with
the realities of Foreign Service life, since Foreign Service
spouses will always be a part of the "system", especially
abroad where they are dependent on Departmental services
and implicitly responsible to a larger community. Most
Foreign Service wives recognize this paradox and have
struggled since 1972 to reconcile their formal independence
with the continuing demands and responsibilities of Foreign
Service life.
This contradiction causes very real problems for
Foreign Service spouses--problems which have a significant
effect on the Foreign Service as a whole. Spouses are
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
3
frustrated by the Department's inability to adapt fully
to the changing role of women in society. They feel that
the Foreign Service is unaware of their diverse abilities
and their desire to make a contribution, though not neces-
sarily through representational entertaining. This frustra-
tion, coupled with the service-related problems discussed
below, often produces extreme -disenchantment with Foreign
Service life and reduces family commitment to the Foreign
Service.
The Forum recognizes that the foreign affairs
agencies have little control over the forces that have
led to a reappraisal of the women's role in the family
and community. It is equally apparent that Foreign Service
wives cannot request blanket permission to "do their own
thing" while expecting the foreign affairs agencies to
nurture them with additional services. , However, it is
important for the welfare of individuals and the Service
to work together to deal with these concerns.
Participants in this study believe that the
Department of State can help resolve these concerns by
(1) developing new ways to view and treat spouses as
assets in the foreign affairs effort, and (2) ensuring
that the disadvantages of Foreign Service do not outweigh
its benefits.
The Forum study groups have identified specific
concerns which are discussed below:
The FAMILY LIFE rt.udy group concentratcd its ressarch
on the concerns and experiences of families with children.
Letters to the Committee consistently listed four major
areas of concern: (1) rearing and educating children,
(2) family health, (3) family participation at post, and
(4) difficulties with support services. Some families
are becoming increasingly reluctant to serve overseas,
particularly at hardship posts, despite pay differ'entials.
Many questioned whether present conditions of .life in
the Foreign Service permit them to realize their family
goals. They consider the frequent changes of climate,
culture and languages, the repeated remaking of the home
environment in all its material and psychological complexity,
the uncertainty of education good enough to meet today's
competitive standard!, plus the varied physical and finan-
cial stresses and ask, "Are we preparing our children
adequately for their future?" "Is life in the Foreign
Service worth the hassle?"
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
4
The study group on the MODERN FOREIGN SERVICE WIFE
focussed on the present, unsatisfactory relationship
between the Department of State and spouses and its effect
on the resolution of urgent concerns. Since 1972, this
relationship has been based on a denial of mutual obliga-
tions and responsibilities while, in fact, diplomatic life
imposes limitations and responsibilities on both the
Department and spouses.. Without more effective communica-
tion and a new understanding and definition of this relation-
ship, specific mutual problems cannot be addressed. One
of these problems is the inequity of implicit representa-
tional responsibilities. Although wives are no longer
required to entertain, the need for representation
continues. Women feel there has been no realistic
assessment of what must he done in the Foreign Service.
community, who will do it, and how they will do it, and
how they will be compensated for it. The most crucial
concern addressed by the study group.is'the widespread
dissatisfaction with the lack of employment and career
opportunities for spouses. Women cannot participate fully
in society because the opportunities to pursue their own
intellectual and professional development are limited.
.Foreign Service spouses possess a wide variety of
professional and technical skills, as documented by the
SPOUSES' SKILLS/TALENT BANK. However, the Department has
yet to establish a mechanism by which such skills can be
identified and utilized in the best interests of the
foreign affairs community and the individual family unit.
Lack of progress in this area continues to affect morale,
a family's willingness to serve abroad and the ability of
the Foreign Service family abrnad to eemonstrate thP
positive aspects of American life. The creation of a
centralized skills bank would be seen by employees and
spouses alike as a demonstration of positive concern for
the welfare and social and professional fulfillment of
all Foreign Service individuals and a creative utilization
of previously untapped individual resources.
Foreign Service families spend a significant portion
of their time adjusting to new surroundings and circumstances,
so much so that one wife described her time in the Foreign
Service as "life among the packing crates." Some families
become acclimated more quickly than others, but all agree
that the transitions--whether the family moves to a post
abroad, returns to Washington, or leaves the Foreign
Service altogether--impose unique stresses on the family.
The following paragraphs summarize the findings of the
study groups that concentrated on these transitions.
_ ? -
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
The study croup on ORIENTATION AND TRAINING found
that many spouses are poorly prepared for life in the
Foreign Service. Basic information about the obligations
and options of Foreign Service spouses would help prepare
women for the demands of diplomaticqife. However, many
families cannot attend basic training in Washington for
financial reasons, and many spouses do not see published
material, such as the new pamphlet for married applicants,
because it is not brought to their attention. Wives at all
levels stressed the importance of improved training-op-
portunities, especially language training in Washington
and at post, that would enhance their contribution to the
community abroad and facilitate a smooth adjustment to
life in foreign cultures. Spouses' participation in
programs at FSI is limited by the "space available" require-
ment, and many cannot attend courses at all because of
conflicting responsibilities and the lack of child care
facilities. Families need more take-home training material,
printed materials and cassettes, to prepare them for
overseas assignments.
For many Foreign Service wives", RE-ENTRY to the
United States from abroad is a time of severe stress, a
transition that has not been fully appreciated by the
Department of State. For families that have served many
years abroad, re-adjustment to life in the United States
is similar to adjustment to life in a foreign country.
Families must make immediate decisions about housing,
education and, frequently, medical treatment--decisions
requiring basic, information that is often difficult to
obtain. The Foreign Service wife often suffers an
"identity crisis" caused by adjusting to a new lifestyle,
trying to resume a career or an education interrupted by
overseas assignment, and struggling with the feeling that
she is a stranger in her own country. These stresses con-
verge to make re-entry to the United States a difficult
experience.
The study group on WOMEN IN TRANSITION found that
retirement does not appear to present major adjustment
problems, perhaps because the transition is expected and
the family unit is still intact. Widowed and divorced
women, however, feel vulnerable and unprepared for life
in today's society. Most women who now face widowhood
or divorce had "served" with their husbands in the old
sense of the word- Their future has been clouded by the
personal sacrifice made in serving overseas in a role
secondary to that. of their husbands. If the foreign
affairs agencies work to allow women to develop independent
roles and financial security, as suggested elsewhere in
this report, this problem may diminish. In the meantime,
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
divorced and widowed women need a service within the
Department that can give them information, legal assistance
and counseling. While these women do not blame the Depart-
ment for their personal problems, they feel their transition
is more difficult because of the nature of their Foreign
Service experiences.
Recommendations:
1. Establish a new relationship between the Department
of State and the spouses of Foreign Service employees,
based on a recognition of mutual responsibilities.
2. Create a Family Liaison Office -(FLO) headed by a
director who is directly responsible to the Deputy
Under Secretary for Management and who works in
close cooperation with M/DG, M/FSI, M/MED and M/MO.
This office would assist State, USIA and AID family
members and should be established through a joint
cooperative effort between Foreign Service families
and employees of the Department of State. FLO should:
(1) Provide regular and dependable dissemination of
information from the foreign affairs agencies to
family members in Washington and abroad, and (2)
Communicate the views and needs of Foreign Service
families to the foreign affairs agencies, especially
on policy matters and planning affecting their
welfare.
FLO should act as a central clearing house of all
information peitinent to foreign Service famil1e.s.
The office should direct family members to up-to-
date information on facilities abroad, including
post reports, slides and videotapes. The office
should be a center of information on all regulations
affecting family members, such as regulations on
training, moving, family health, widowhood, .retirement,
and employment opportunities. Written memoranda on
these subjects in a format suitable for filing in a
loose-leaf notebook would be helpful. A well-informed
administrative officer should be present to answer
questions and brief family members. The office should
become familiar with all services available to Foreign
Service families (such as FSECC, FSI, medical services,
AAFSW services and community resources) and should
publicize these services as appropriate.
FLO should insure the provision of confidential
psychological and family counseling by a sensitive
and knowledgeable person to assist family members
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651RooninniRnnni_n
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
7
facing service-related problems or crisis situations.
This service exists for USIS and AID families in their
respective agencies, so referral and cooperation would
be necessary. This special assistance and advisory
service is especially important or widows and divorced
dependants.
FLO should initiate direct contact with spouses of
candidates for Foreign Service employment to insure
that they receive a full appreciation of Foreign
Service life before the family enters the Foreign
Service. Following the candidate's decision to
enter the Foreign Service, the office should maintain
direct contact with the spouse.
FLO should initiate frequent contact with posts
abroad, providing up-to-date information pertinent
to families living abroad or preparing to return to
Washington.
FLO should act as a liaison with individuals and
organizations such as AAFSW, WAO and AFSA on all
matters pertaining to family members and should assist
these organizations upon request whenever possible.
The Spouses' Skills/Talent Bank should be institution-
alized within FLO to encourage and facilitate the
utilization of the individual talents of spouses.
Career counseling for spouses should be provided,
and the information gathered by the Skills/Talent
Bank should be used to expand employment opportunities
as described in recommendation #7.
FLO should be staffed by at least four full-time
professionals (director, information specialist,
skills bank coordinator, counselor) and adequate
secretarial support, and should be able to fund the
programs described. ?
3. Improve the training provided spouses to insure that
it meets their needs. Training in languages and other
cross-cultural skills (full or part-time, take home
and at post) should be a priority. The materials in
the FSI seminars on Family Living, Money Management
and Career Planning are vitally important and should
be available to all families in the Foreign Service
community. These and other orientation materials on
re-entry and community participation should be
available in written form, on cassettes, or on
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
videotapes for use by families who are unable to
attend FSI and for distribution overseas. Child
care facilities should be provided at FSI. Recog-
nizing that the spouse is an important part of the
diplomatic unit, the Department should authorize per
diem for family members to acdompany the employee
to Washington for orientation, training and consultation.
4. Review and clarify representational responsibilities
and explore ways to compensate spouses for their work
and expenses.
5. The 30-day temporary housing allowance for families
returning to Washington should be extended. The
Department of State should recognize the special
travel needs of families fragmented by divorce and
provide appropriate travel allowances.
6. Review the quality of medical care provided for
? Foreign Service families, particularly at posts
abroad, and take prompt action to improve medical
care worldwide. Counseling for mental health
problems must be expanded, using para-professional
counselors abroad. The assignment process should
include a thorough consideration of all family mem-
bers. Medical personnel in Washington should
recognize and understand the stresses of Foreign
Service life and be more sensitive in their dealings
with family members.
7. Recognize the diverse skills and talents of spouses
and work to integrate these into the post community
abroad. Maintain a catalog ,-..;he Spcduses'
Talent Bank) of contract positions, positions in
American businesses, foreign country resource needs,
legal requirements and family member skills. Reinforce
and implement existing regulations to facilitate and
encourage the employment of spouses overseas.
8. Review family educational requirements and Fork to
minimize the adverse effects of Foreign Service life
on educational continuity. Work with family members
to improve standards of State Department supported
schools, up-date educational allowances, provide
standardized testing for dependents abroad and re-
assess assistance for handicapped dependents. Pro-
vide two paid trips per year for dependents age 22
and under to'visit parents at post: FSECC has offered
to prepare a complete and frequently up-dated re-entry
package on schools in the Washington area; this
projact should be funded by the foreign affairs
agencies.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
9. Provide financial support for ad hoc community .
. efforts (part-time work, clubs, special activities)
to improve teen-age morale abroad.
10. Improve evacuation procedures by sending a specially
trained TDY officer to safehaven posts to help
evacuees with information, counseling and financial
assistance.
11. Meet with Forum participants to promote mutual
understanding and cooperation regarding the above
recommendations.
Attachments:
Tab
1.
Family Life Study Group Report
Tab
2.
The Modern Foreign Service Wife
Study Group Report
Tab
3.
The Spouses' Skills/Talent Bank Report
Tab
4.
Orientation and Training Study Group Report
Tab
5.
Re-entry Study Group Report
Tab
6.
Women in Transition (Retirement,
Divorce) Study Group Report
Widowhood and
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Family Life Study Group Report
The morale and well being of U.S. Government
employees and their families overseas are crucial factors
in the excellence of the employee's performance. We, the
members of the Family Life committee, have been gathering
information from spouses here and abroad about their ex-
periences in rearing children overseas. Some employees
are becoming increasingly reluctant to serve overseas--
particularly at hardship posts, despite pay differentials.
We have received many letters questioning whether present
conditions of life in the Foreign Service are a satis-
factory way to realize their family goals.
When they consider the frequent changes of climate,
culture and languages, the repeated remaking of the home
environment in all its material and psychological com-
plexity, the uncertainty of education good enough to
meet today's competetive standards, plus the varied
financial stresses, families are asking themselves: "Are
we preparing our children adequately for their future?"
"Is life in the Foreign Service worth the hassle?" One
woman phrased her concern: "It is one thing to tacrifice
one's own comfort and well being to a cause, but one has
no right to sacrifice one's children's future to a
personal choice."
Letters to our committee of Family Life consistently
listed five major- areas of concern: (1) rearing and
educating children, (2) family health, (3) family partici-
pati:Jn aL post, (;) difficulties wiLh support rvices,
and (5) finances and family life.
Children
The conventional saying, "children adapt so. easily
to new environments overseas" is no longer accepted as
truth by Foreign Service families. They have seen,
heard about or personally suffered with children who
have had real, problems.
Too often Foreign Service children have been shoved
aside in the name of representational d'uty. Time for
family activities is often in short supply and not con-
sidered important' by superiors. Departure and arrival
times are so full of activity that children's needs can
be neglected.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0 -
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
? Young children left in the care of unsuitable servants
can be victimized by unscrupulous and dangerous individuals.
The Werkman Report documents many cases of psychological
difficulties that have arisen due to mental and physical
abuse of children by household employees.1
Grade school children do not have sufficient
opportunities to learn about their own country, form
lasting friendships with other children, or have the
security which comes from a more settled existence. They
miss organized group sports programs and the chance to
participate in scientific and nature study programs.
Many young children today acquire large amounts of tech-
nical information in this country that is unavailable
elsewhere. Sometimes the constant changes of language
and environment precipitate problems of dyslexia and
antisocial behavior which will continue to impede their
learhing.and affect their psychological development unless
properly diagnosed and treated.
Many parents observed that when children spend most
of their formative years abroad they are "superficially at
home in all cultures, but not truly a part of any--including
their own." Young adults, products of an earlier era of
Foreign Service life, still see themselves as permanent
observers, never fully participants in their own country.
Teenagers find it difficult to acquire a working
knowledge of their own culture. They have little, or no
knowledge of what things cost, have never had a chance to
earn their own money, nor the opportunity to observe
careers other. than their fathers'. Adolescence is alw=ys
a time of stress, but young people abroad find it very dif-
ficult to deal with their loneliness, instability and
boredom. "They have very special problems of identity,
involvement and loyalty." In the worst cases, drug and
alcohol abuse, criminal actions, mental health problems
and even death have been the result--causing terrible
anguish to families and the government.
There is at present very little help available
overseas to the families involved in these difficult
problems. There is no crisis prevention counseling, and
many parents fear their careers may be jeopardized if they
do seek help. When parents and children are separated
'Sidney L. Werkman, a former lecturer at the Foreign
Service Institute and former Senior Psychiatric Consultant
to the Peace Corps, did a study on Foreign Service children
which was read at the 124th Annual Meeting of the American
Psychiatric Association in Washington, D.C., May 3-7, 1971.
?
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
14
by excessive representational duties, assignment or
boarding school, it is difficult to maintain close com-
munication and deal with unsatisfactory situations before
serious problems result.
"..
The quality of education overseas is of prime
concern to all Foreign Service families. The office of
Overseas Schools does try to insure that Foreign. Service
children receive comparable educational experience abroad.
Their success is gratefully noted at larger posts where
it is easier to attract quality teachers, maintain ade-
quate facilities and quickly receive the latest educational
materials. "However, at less pleasant and/or more isolated
posts, our children often endure very poor, if.not_
perverse, educational experiences.."
Inadequacies reported are: lack of libraries and
laboratory equipment, antiquated textbooks, limited or
inconsistent curriculum, unqualified teachers, inadequate
college counseling, and no special attention to learning
disabilities and emotional problems.- Frequent changes
in teachers and administration are common. Furthermore,
the unique overseas experiences of Foreign Service
children are no longer of use to them within the typical
standardized competitive exams for eligibility for
admission--let alone scholarships?at university level.
It is no exaggeration to say "a child who received his
early education at remote posts in LDC's with few educa-
tional experiences comparable to the U.S. norm, can be
as deprived in some relevant respects as one from the
most rural or impoverished ghetto areas in the'U.S."
Over the years, employees and wives have served
long hours on school boards at isolated posts trying to
promote high standards; now they question, along with all
Foreign Service parents, whether it is fair to offer their
children such an erratic and interrupted educational
experience, considering today's competitive job .market.
Too often adolescents must cope with correspondence
courses at post, attend boarding school in another foreign
country, or the student is forced to return alone to the
States--sometimes halfway around the world from his parents.
The young teenager will only have one round trip per year
to settle any worries or problems he may have. "Cutbacks
in dependent travel allowances and the failure of educa-
tional allowance to keep up with the increased educational
costs cause real financial and emotional stress in families.
This is when families really begin to question whether
the sacrifice is worth it."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDID12_nnRc iminrin-inn4^^^^.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
13
Travel allowances for children or divorced parents are
another source of serious concern. Rules for these fractured
families vary, and in some cases the Foreign Service officer
without custody has no opportunity to see his children
while working abroad.
The Foreign Service Educational and Counseling
Center (FSECC), a private activity funded by AFSA and
AAFSW, responds to some of the needs listed above. The
Center is a concentrated and ever-expanding source of
information on all aspects of education.. Mrs. Bernice
Munsey, the new director, is eager to work with parents
and students here in the U.S. and through correspondence
with those abroad. Unfortunately.,.families.overseas who
could benefit from FSEEC's services are unaware of
its existence.
Family Participation at Posts
The sense of participation_in the U.S. government
community abroad is very lacking at some posts. "Recent
emphasis on individual freedom has torn down the social
supports of the past which helped ensure that all employee
families abroad were integrated into the efforts-?-busimess
as well as social--of the Embassy/Consulate. Nothing has
replaced this."
Many letters expressed confusion about Airgram A-278
of January, 1972 and expressed the urgent need to rethink
the official policies, official practices at post, and
volunteer efforts in the government community that affects
us all. A more detailed discussion of this p/oolem is
presented in the Modern Foreign Service Wife Study Group
Report.
Many people mentioned the need for improvement of
welcoming customs over and above the official arrival pro-
cedures. The Forum also received numerous suggestions for
the creation of a new position, a "family liaison officer"
at posts abroad, who could help coordinate comnunity acti-
vities, locate community resources and work to maintain or
improve post morale. This person could work in close co-
operation with the Family Liaison Office (FLO) recommended
by the Forum in this report.
Spouses recognize that the burden of most representa-
tional duties,'the care and feeding of VIP's and boosting
of post's morale still falls to the senior wives. Isn't
it time the job of Foreign Service wife received compensation?
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
ueclassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
The 12-year old ,son of a DCM visiting the Kennwy
Center "Town Meeting on the Air" remarked over National
Public Radio that his mother worked as hard at representing
our country as the wife of the U.S. President and deserved
to be paid for her service. He ,.!.as right.
Financial worries are intensified by the inflation
at home that frightens families trying to plan for the
purchase of a home, college bills, and retirement. Two
incomes have become necessary.
A committee member who entertained frequently abroad
without reimbursement expressed bitterness and resentment
that no recognition is given to her family for their per-
sonal efforts to improve cross-cultural understanding--
Today she is uncertain if she will be able to continue her
children's education at the graduate level.
Family Health
Families are also concerned with sacrificing their
physical and mental health for the needs of the service.
"Facilities for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
endemic diseases at posts located in less-developed
countries are usually not adequate to insure the main-
tenance of family health at a good level. Often the
overworked regional doctor has to cover too large an
area to provide thorough medical coverage for the number
of persons, including dependents, under his jurisdiction."
Forum participants felt that the Medical Division
should zview with yrsdte; care the health record. of the
total family unit before clearing them for service at a
post lacking facilities for their particular problem.
For example: direct transfer from one hardship post to
another when someone in the family suffers from serious
amoebic dysentery, recently had surgery or has a handicap
which can't be treated at the ongoing assignment.
In 1962, Bea Russell wrote in LIVING IN STATE that
"personnel serving in Africa can expect to lose at least
a portion of their health." That was fourteen years ago,
yet one wife who recently returned from Africa reports
"the incomplete list of our family's health problems
included nearly constant dysentery, tapeworm, a child's
vaginal infection from a nursemaid's masturbation, con-
cussions and resulting shock, hepati;is, an array of skin
infections, head lice, insomnia and dizziness from alti-
tude, and malnourishment due to a lack of safe meat, milk
and fresh vegetables. We considered ourselves to be among
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 ? r.i.a_pnoin
1 C
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
the more fortunate as other families fared worse, including'
death." It must be noted that some families seem to thrive
in the most adverse health conditions; however, others
suffer many of the above medical,problems., plus exotic var-
ieties peculiar to their particuLir assignment.
The Medical Division recognizes that many illnesses
are stress related (psychosomatic) yet there are few facilities
at posts abroad for helping individuals and families cope
with stress. Lee Dane, in her paper "The Use o4 the Para-
professional for. Treatment of Americans Abroad" stated,
"The expatriate American is unique in his potential for
encountering more stressful situations than his stateside
counterpart, with less recourse for. alleviating stress.?
The fact that the Foreign Service functions at all allows
some room for thought that perhaps there exists a special
breed with uncanny talents for social adjustment. Whatever
accounts for those who function well, I surmise they re-
present the extreme end of the bell scale, and wives and
children do not necessarily fall into the same category."
A paraprofessional at post, working in conjunction with
the Medical Division, might be able to help those patients
whose medical problems are stress related, thus easing the
doctor's burden and aiding post morale. A family with
medical problems has a government employee who isn't working
to capacity. Many work hours are lost, and considerable
money spent to medically evacuate such people; to say
nothing of the personal and family distress involved.
Support Services
Like the poor, administrative complaints will always
be with us. While recognizing that many support services
.are efficiently and well provided, there does seem to be a
real need for better communication of regulations and directives
among management, administrative sections at posts, and the
people they are designed to serve. Too often the admini-
strative regulations concerning weight allowances, shipment
of household effects, housing allowances, transfers, policies
toward evacuees are poorly understood, inaccurately inter-
preted or too rigidly followed by the administrative section
at post.
2This paper was published in excerpted form in the
Department of State Newsletter, June 1974 under the title
"Psychological Realities for Americans Abroad."
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
?
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Concerning household effects, furnished posts usually
contain the basic family needs; however, the limited shipment
allowance "hardly permits bringing any quantity of books,
records and hobby equipment the experts advise you to
bring." If the parents know in advance that Christmas and
birthday toys and gifts will be impossible to buy at post,
they use a portion of their limited weight allowance for
such purchases. In fact, if the advice in some post reports
were followed, most of the shipment allowance would go for
anticipated needs, leaving little room for the family's
favorite possessions which help make government quarters
home.
The housing standards vary widely from country to
country. What would be considered.substandard.in one .country
becomes more than adequate in another. "Coming from a post
with furnished housing, the inequality of this situation is
unrealistic. Every family either spends a lot of savings or
goes into debt just to move in. Financial burdens create
stress, poor housing creates stress, being unsettled creates
stress--with the whole family in a state of threatened
mental health, it is impossible for the officer to be
effective in his work."
Transfers are a trying time for the Foreign Service
family due to culture shock; they are acerbated--and many
work hours are lost--trying to locate the family's household
effects which may have never left the previous post, were
sent to the wrong post, badly damaged in transit, or finally
arrived, but were incorrectly billed excess weight charges.
Administrative personne3 need sensitivity training to
deal with these stresses and the truly traumatic stress of
evacuation due to acts of terrorism, war, revolution or
medical emergencies. An influx of evacuees causes a work
overload at the embassy/consulate safehaven, yet the evacuees
have real emotional, financial, medical and logistical needs
which must be met. Though personnel at safe haven posts
usually rally to help the evacuees, their enthusiasm may be
strained if the crises are continual.
Support services should ideally help the employee and
his family settle into post as quickly as possible. This
insures that overseas employees will do more effective work
faster, and their families will have the opportunity to
contribute to the sense of community at/post in a positive
way.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
17
Finances and Family .Life
The financial burdens of Foreign Service life are
closely related to the discontent of many spouses and have a
direct impact on family life. Some spouses might merely
like to find employment commensurate with their training and
capacity. Others are obliged to leave children of various
ages (when they would prefer not to do so) to find employ-
ment for the main purpose of making ends meet.
For the Foreign Service family, Washington, D.C., is an
economic hardship post. In many cases, returning home means
taking what amounts to as much as a 30% cut in salary, and
the Foreign Service family often has to spend .what it was
able to save overseas to make ends meet in Washington. The
cost of living in the area is high, with the cost of housing
having risen the most drastically. However, the main
concern of many.families is to save enough to ensure their
children's post-secondary school education (not to mention
private secondary school, should that be necessary). With
the current low salary scale, such saving is extremely
difficult if not impossible.
In addition, the Foreign Service family has unusual
expenses such as paying for transit insurance, temporary
lodging, representation at posts and for the expenses of
home leave. Transit insurance, though absolutely necessary,
is never reimbursed and temporary lodging and representa-
tional expenses are often only partially reimbursed. Home
leave can result in a particularly objectionable form of
financial hardship; home leave is obligatory, but many
necessary expenses--such as lodging and transportation--are
only partially reimbursed. Thus, unless one can borrow a
friend's house and car, home leave often results in finan-
cial hardship.
It is true that some of these expenses can be included
ift making income tax calculations. However, since they are
considered as tax adjustments and deductions and not as tax
credits, the Foreign Service family ultimately loses money
in the service of the United States Government.
Furthermore, the rhythm of expenditure of funds can be
very erratic. A Foreign Service family going off to a
hardship post may suddenly find itself faced with purchasing
$1500 worth of staples and other supplies because the local
market is unreliable or non-existent.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
lb
. Finally, as for automobiles, with one limited exception,
the Government will not ship foreign-made cars for the
Foreign Service family. It is often more expensive and
difficult to maintain an American car overseas than it is
to maintain a foreign car in Washington. However, since
the cost of shipping a foreign car is prohibitive for most
families, they bring an American car with them and are faced
with the high cost and frustration of maintenance overseas.
Because of these unusual financial demands, the Foreign
Service is in great danger of returning to the past, when
only people of independent means could afford to serve
their country overseas. The pay scale and reimbursements
are not commensurate with the demands placed upon the_Zoreign
Service family, nor for that matter with the education,
expertise and dedication of most Foreign Service officers.
As for the Foreign Service spouse, it is difficult to find
employment because of the transient nature of Foreign Service
life. Much bitterness and frustration could be alleviated
if working could be made a matter of choice for the spouse
rather than of necessity.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
19
The Modern Foreign Service Wife Study Group Report
The changes in the roles and expectations of the American'
woman, and hence the Foreign Service wife, is what one
scholar has called "One of the most significant social and
economic facts of our time." The significance of this
change for the institutions of the country is just beginning
to be felt and the long range consequences are still un-
known. The extent to which institutions deal constructively
with these changes is the extent to which they will succeed.
The Foreign affairs agencies recognized these changes
in the Directive issued in January, 1972. The regulation
says specifically:
"Women have gained increasing recognition of their
right to be treated as individuals and to have per-
sonal and career interests in addition to their more
traditional roles as wife or mother. If the Foreign
Service is to remain representative of American
Society, and if its traditions are to,be preserved
and strengthened, the Foreign Service must adapt to
these changing conditions."
After emphasizing that "It is not intended to undermine
the sense of cooperation, participation and community
spirit abroad..." the regulation says, "the wife of a
Foreign Service emiduyee who has accompanied her husband
to a foreign post is a private individual."
In the eyes of a few people, the policy followed
since 1972 might be described in the words of one young
woman, as "salutory neglect" and therefore desirable.
This woman, who had never been overseas as a Foreign Service
wife, explained her attitude in the following way.
"The phrase 'salutory neglect' best describes the
treatment I would like from the State Department.
I would like to pursue my career at foreign posts
basically as I do here, without the concern of
the State Department. I cannot perceive of any
conflict of interest between my work, technical
editing, and that of my husband."
She appears to believe that she will be able to act as if
she were in her own country. But as many have testified,
this is clearly not the case and one of the major reasons
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
20
why. the majority of spouses feel it is time to reevaluate
the results of the Directive and deal more realistically
with the changes as they are affected by the constraints
of Foreign Service life.
The 1972 Directive was a laudable first step...but
with time the complexity of the situation became apparent.
In the last five years the Foreign Service has witnessed
the breaking down of the traditional and often unequal
structures and conventions of diplomatic life, allowing
for more individual choice. But, although the directive
did wipe away the inequities of the past, it had the un-
intended and unfortunate effect of destroying, in many
posts, the positive aspects of the_Foreign Service com-
munity. The old structure, as one woman wrote,
"created a sense of community and esprit de corps,
(it) gave continuity to women's lives, (an Embassy
tea is an Embassy tea in Paris or Ouagadougou, only
the trimmings differ) and provided some kind of a
standard for and a sense of -personal worth."
The Forum received many letters commenting on the
growing isolation of the women from each other, and how
"fragmented the Embassy community is." A particularly
articulate spouse discussed the problem in these terms.
"It is a pity that we FS wives have lost our sense
of community, yet it is our own fault. We mistrust
the motives of the senior wives despite their caring
for us and being enormous resources of information.
We feel co-erced when it is our imagination or else
we are on the defensive. We feel isolated when
older wives do not seem to feel the impact of the
women's movement. We feel pressured by those who
sublimate their own roles to their husband's and
then we fall into the same trap. We do not give
ourselves or other women enough credit. Here we
are trying to find ways to focus on problems
despite rank, to inform ourselves, and to co-operate
with each other."
Another wrote, "A helping hand offered to anyone,
regardless of husband's rank, does not infringeupon anyone's
'rights' to remain private." Unfortunaitely, what in other
circumstances would be considered neighborliness, is
interpreted as pressure to conform.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approvedf(517 Release 2013/08/28: CIA-R-DP12-00651R0001001-66001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
zi
It would be inaccurate to report that all the women
feel this way. Community spirit has not uniformly dissolved.
For example, one woman dcscribed her community as "much
more interesting" now. She continued,
"Most women have their own interests these days even
if they cannot work. They will explore things and,
as a result, there is more real exchange. But
fluency in the language is the key."
These women were in the minority, however, and enough
evidence was presented to the Forum to suggest that, in
many places, the community is in serious trouble.
It is now time to put somethiii4 in the place of thY
old structures. The new structures must contribute to a
new sense of community withinthe Foreign Service, a com-
munity based on shared talents, strength, experiences and
concerns, but one which is also democratic in spirit and
respectful of individual differences.
To achieve this, the study group on the Modern Foreign
Service Wife believes that the foreign affairs agencies and
the spouses jointly must address three major problems
which were identified as inherent in Foreign Service life:
1. The peculiar relationship between the foreign
affairs agencies and the spouses.
2. The lack of employment and career opportunities
for. spouses.
3. The inequities of implicit representational
responsibilities of spouses.
The Nature of the Peculiar Relationship
Since the 1972 Directive, the relationShip, between
the foreign affairs agencies and the spouses has been based
on a denial of mutual obligations and responsibilities.
Theoretically, during the last five years spouses of
Foreign Service employees have been free to seek employment,
follow their own careers, and entertain if and when they
wished. The phrase, "Two for the price of one" was con-
sidered not just obsolete, but dead. The wife was a
"private person" not a "government employee."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
22
In practice, "The Emancipation Proclamation does not
work," declared one woman. Many women expressed very strongly
that the wife is "still an unpaid and unappreciated employee
of the Department of State." For:, despite the regulations
and the fact that in the United Sttes women are more
independent, socially, and economically, the Foreign Service
spouse is involved, through marriage, with an institution
and way of life that imposes limitations on that independence
overseas. Legal restrictions, cultural constraints and
diplomatic traditions very often continue to place her in
a dependent position. The result is that it is now practically
impossible for many women married to Foreign Service employees
to reconcile the Conflict between the demands of American
life (that of being independent) with the demands of Foreign
Service life (that of being dependent).
The women who sought to be regarded as individuals,
independent of their husband's positions, found that the
Directive had the effect of making then non-persons.
They became private persons in theory without the means
to act as such in private. Those who valued the tradi-
tional role of the Foreign Service wife have been left
feeling, as one wife put it:
"Only a great emptiness (bordering on the feeling
of having been a sucker all these years), a sense
of frustration, of a lack of fulfillment and
recognition."
Others found that the conflict between the changes in the
roles and the constraints imposed by Forej.gn Service life
caused them to question whether Foreign Service life is
worth the personal and family sacrifice it demands. As
one woman put it,
"I am simply forced to ask myself, 'Am I stupid
or cruel, or both, to do this to myself and to my
children? And if this is the case, what about my
husband?'"
Not all ask the question as dramatically, as negatively
or as undiplomatically as this woman, but the findings
of the Study Group on the Modern Foreign Service Wife
seem to indicate that a large group of, women are questioning
the wisdom of continuing to be "of the Foreign Service if
we are not in the Foreign Service."
npriaccifiari in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0 - ?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
2 2.
The options for dealing with the contradictions and
'limitations that diplomatic life imposes on their personal
? lives are few. One revert to the 19th century and
accept them; one divorce one's husband/wife, or get
one's husband/wife to divorce the Foreisn Service. Or, one
can try to change Foriegn Service family life. Increasingly
the Foreign Service is experiencing more cases of divorce,
wives leaving posts shortly after arrival and requests for
longer tours of duty in Washington, D.C. Figures are not
available to document the number of resignations because
of the problems, although a few people spoke of 43
the course of the Forum project. most of the peopre
who wrote to the Forum and who participated in the meetings
in Washington were overwhelmingly in favor of the last
alternative, improving Foreign Service life.
For this to be accomplished, the ForuM has recommended t.11,..:t
unless a service of bachelors is the long-range goal
(Suggestion submitted by one woman), a new relationship
between the Department and families mt.= hlevolved - This
relationship must be based on mutual respect with a clear
understanding that each has specific needs that must be
fulfilled and, by the same token, that each has specific
--esponsibilities which must be accepted.
Spouses would like to be-recognized as a very diverse
jroup of individuals who are capable of and desirous of
contributing to the U.S. interests abroad in a variety of
ways. Some would like to continue the role of the tradi-
tional Foreign Service wife, in the best sense of the
phrase. Some are primarily concerned about their own
career and do not want to be involved in any way with tne
Foreign Service. Others would like to combine their own
family and career needs with the Foreign Service, and still
others view homemaking and mothering as a full time job
with little time left over for other activities until
later. -
Spouses, on the other hand, must recognize the repre-
sentative (not representational) nature of their life overseas,
regardless of whether they are paid employees of the foreign
affairs agencies. Other people, host country nationals,
third country nationals, including other diplomatic, and
even other Americans, continue to regard the Foreign Service
spouses as official Americans. Her activities are not
seen as "private actions" but more likely as extensions of
the Embassy. As one person wrote, "Whether they like it or
rfdin Part - Sanitized CODV Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
24
not, whether they seek such status or not, all wives are
representatives of the Embassy as well as of themselves
and their country." The Forum believes that the establish-
ment of a new relationship in a climate of mutual understanding
and cooperation is central. WithoUt this the other recom-
mendations cannot be discussed.
In order to foster a new and more productive relationship
between the agencies and families, theleForum believes
that the Family Liaison Office (FLOSe" the institutional
means that would facilitate direct and regular communication
between the agencies and family members.
Limited Gainful Employment and Career Opoortunities
for Spouses
The modern Foreign Service wife is representative of
American women in general when it comes to the question of
gainful employment. According to the New York Times of
September 12, 1976, 48% of American women over sixteen are
gainfully employed. Roughly two-thirds of these women are
employed because they have to be. , any are the sole support
of their children. Others are doing their part to help
maintain the family income and budget in the face of infla--1
tion, which the Bureau of Labor says has reduced purchasing
power by one-third in the last six years. Those who are
lucky enough to work seek the same sense of self-actualiza-
tion and satisfaction in developing their potential that
men have long pursued.
If the Foreign Service wife ever was a "Lady Bountiful"
with time on her hands and money to spare, she is no longer.
Today she admits her own needs and seeks her identity in
her own interests and life's work, not in those of her
husband. A sentiment expressed by many is contained in
the following comment made by one woman: "I do not think
I could ever sublimate my own ambitions entirely to my
husband's work."
The modern Foreign Service wife is also acutely
aware of the negative effect that inflation and increasingly
limited resources at home and abroad have and will have on
her economic future and that of her family. Foreign Service
salaries have never made a family rich, but today without
a second income, they may well leave a family poor. As
one young wife wrote in dismay,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
25
"Certainly no one can expect a family to survive 7
on the salary of a Junior officer (the average u4,e ?
of which is 28-30), or have aspirations of owning 6
their own home."
Recently the Research Committee on Spouses surveyed Foreign
Service Officers, Foreign Service Information Officers, and
Foreign Service Reserve Officers living in Washington and
found that 47.4% of the spouses (almost all female) of
these officers are gainfully employed. The Spouses'
Skills/Talent Bank has received over 900 completed forms
from spouses who are gainfully employed or who are seeking
employment. In 1974, the Institute sent a questionnaire
to all diplomatic posts in which information on working
wives was requested. As of February 1977, 117 posts out
of 252 had responded to the survey, reporting that over
560 women held paying jobs. (The kinds of employment
range from those within the Embassy to jobs with local.
enterprises, jobs with U.S. or other third country businesses,
to self-generated employment. They.are listed on
Appendix A.)
Although the data from the survey in Washington,
theinformation from the Skills Bank, and the FSI question-
naires indicate that many Foreign Service wives already
are employed, more and more wives would like to work if
the opportunites were available. The need for gainful
employment and meaningful career opportunities was considered
the issue by the Study Group on Modern Foreign Service
Wives, a group which has participants from a cross-section
the Foreign Service community. The members ranged
from the wife of a Career minister to the wife of an FSO-7.
In the letters received from overseas missions, employment
was mentioned time and time again as one of the most im-
portant issues the Forum should address.
? That the Foreign Service must try to help facilitate
this desire if it wants to be able to recruit highly educated
married officers seemed obvious to many of the participants
in the Forum project. Both the Study Group members and
the people who wrote from abroad felt that it is in the
interest of the Foreign Service to assist in innovations
which might create more opportunities for spouses to seek
gainful emmloyment overseas, and many suggestions were
offered in several areas in which participants believe
efforts would be strengthened.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0 - ?
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
26
Spouses' employment needs should be considered and
dealt with equitably, meaninc that qualified spouses
wish to be regarded and judged first as professionals in
their own right and secondly as wives. At the same time,
the Study Group recognize that the.7Department cannot respond
to the employment issue in a way that would prejudice the
professional standards and concerns of its career employees.
Constraints on Employment
The FSI survey highlighted the major legal constraint
operating against the Foreign Service spouse who seeks
employment on the local economy: the need for a work permit
and the difficulties involved in obtaining one. Said one
woman who had tried unsuccessfully to get one,
"They are difficult to obtain. This forces wives
either to free-lance or to work underground. It
also absolves posts of any obligation to aid working
spouses."
The requirements are different for every post. In fact,
the only pattern reflected in the answers to this part of
the survey is that no generalizations can be made about
work permits. In some countries the wife would have to
forfeit diplsgiftic immunity in return for the permit;
nevertheless,Aan option some wives would like to have.
Other countries will only give permits to people who have
very specialized skill, andthe high rate of unemployment
in other countries makeit nearly impossible for any foreigner
to be given a permit.
Part of the difficulty in finding a job overseas stems
from the lack of detailed information about what spouses .
can realistically expect to happen to their lives when
they marry into the Foreign Service. Many feel the Depart-
ment has the responsibility to inform spouses adequately
and accurately before the employee is hired; many feel it
is equally important to have detailed information, prior
to arrival, about employment opportunities at the different
posts. While this may not be possible for every post,
region specific information can be provided.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Existing regulations could be more strongly implemented
and publicized. One regulation (76 State 168096) directs
the administrative officers to provide more complete job
opportunity information in the post report. Yet many
spouses, particularly those about to go overseas, complained
that post reports continue to give inadequate information.
Even if the information were complete, reports are almost
always two years out of date. One person suggested that
the Foreign Service Institute explore ways of using informa-
tion systems which take advantage of sophisticated technology
and on the spot people to update the information on a given
country much more frequently.
Another regulation (76 State 127433) that few spouses
seem to be aware of authorizes the certification of their
volunteer efforts abroad. This can then be used on a resume
as valid work experience, reducing the problem of frequent
breaks in a spouse's employment history.
Assuming that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure, many women suggested that the foreign affairs
agencies expand and fully fund the workshop on career
planning and money management, which many indicated were
extremely valuable. These kinds of courses help spouses
manage their own career goals. Also, by actively welcoming
spouses to the employee's career counseling sessions, the
agencies could convey that they recognize the importance
of the spouses's career interests. They would also begin
to provide the information that is so vital in planning
for the future.
'Foreign service Rc.se:ve appointments offe: professional
employment opportunities. However, some spouses expressed
frustration because while they knew these jobs were available,
they found no information or office which could explain
the skills needed to apply.
_ Although lack of information continues to be one of
the most fundamental obstacles spouses face in 1)1a-suing
employment, there were other areas that the spouses wrote
about.
Several women complained, for example, that the anti-
nepotism policies, as interpreted by personnel people have
the unfair and illegal result of denying equal opportunity
to one sex over the other because the majority of Foreign
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Service spouses are women. Currently, anti-nepotism means
that many women married to Foreign Service employees are
ineligible for Fulbright-Hays Scholarships and professor-
ships. Other grants, contracts and jobs are consistently
denied to women married to Foreign.Service employees.
Many individuals wrote about one solution now open to
spouses, that of becoming an employee of one of the foreign
affairs agencies and serving as a working couple. They
cautioned the Forum and the agencies about relying on this
one approach as a cure-all for the wife who is looking for
employment. Just as all spouses cannot be expected to
be artists and writers, professions often cited as "perfect"
for such a mobile life, neither are all wives desirous of
or qualified for employment with the foreign affairs
agencies.
The list of specific suggestions is lengthy. "Hire
wives to be the social secretary for the Ambassador," or
to "write the post reports." Consider "shared work, where
two dependents share the work week in the same job." Let
wives do research on "socio/anthropological subjects,"
and hire them "locally through purchase orders." Train
wives in "English language teaching, but give it a pro-
fessional status, by paying better salaries." Let them
do the "work now done by managmenet firms and outside
consultants." Provide "counselling about what one can do
professionally or to add to one's experience and personal
growth." And perhaps providing "examples of what other
individuals are doing" would be constructive. In Short, the
spouses would like to see "the scope of career options
widened," be it "thrcugh hiring and training in thc fLtld,"
by "reserving a working quota for foreign spouses in
Embassies," by "giving them priority over third country
nationals," "expanding PIT programs where possible," or
"establishing a wife corps." But they do not want jobs to
be only "at the lowest grade level." One spouse spoke
pointedly about the practice at many posts where,
"Posts take advantage of eager, qualified souses'
willingness to work and insist that they take the
lowest salary - despite the Department's savings in
transportation, housing and all. Further, working
at a lower salary is a black mark on your resume later.
No one of the above suggestions is the answer, but
they all speak to. the need for "an institutional approach
tl
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
to breaking down the barriers," as one woman pointed out:
"eliminating the bureaucratic Obstacle would assist us
greatly," she added.
The Forum's Forum's recommendation #7 speaks to the need of
expanding employment opportunities for spouses. Specifi-
cally, the Forum recommends that the foreign affairs agencies
recognize the diverse ralent of the spouse and work to
integrate them into the post communities abroad, that a
catalog of contract positions be maintained, and that the
existing regulations regarding the hiring of spouses abroad
be reinforced and. implemented.
Inherent and Implicit Representational Responsibilities
The modern Foreign Service wife is unhappy about
representation. The 1972 Directive theoretically exempted
her from representational responsibilities, but in practice,
especially at the senior level, it is she, not her husband,
who bears the brunt of the work involved in the mission's
representational duties. She contributes a great dital of
time and effort. innumerable unrecognized skills and con-
siderable amounts of money, and vet she gets nothing in
return, freauentiv "not even a thank you," according to many
women who wrote on this subject. Many said essentially,
"If entertaining is so important in foreign relations,
the person entertaining should be reimbursed for
expenses and time for preparation. The wife...should
not feel she is doing all the work for nothing."
"It's just not fair."
There appear to be two different definitions and
approaches to representation. In the best sense of the word,
representation refers to a wide variety of mutually satisfy-
ing and beneficial ways Americans can come to know the
citizens and officials of a host country and thereby convey
to them a better and truer understanding of the people,
government, and culture of the United States. This can be
done through community and family activities, friendships
formed at school, at work, through one's children, or in
a hundred other ways. There are few spouses who do not
agree that "representation" in this sense of the word is
an important and valid activity.
However, when representation becomes a synonym for
the social staples of diplomatic life--cocktail parties,
massive receptions, large'buffets--many women question its
validity. This quote expresses the feelings of many.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R0001001Annni_n
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
30
"After attending innumerable coffees, receptions
and dinners, any intelligent person can only conclude
that most of the resources, human and monetary, are
wasted in such events,".. ."Foreign Service business
is not normally aided by these affairs.".. 'Suddenly
it's the superficiality of the existence that's
disturbing."
The modern Foreign Service Wife Study Group has chosen to
call this kind of representation, diplomatic entertaining.
The opinion of most. L.f the women is that (1) it does not
represent the best of American life and values and (2) it
is more costly in terms of time and money taken away from
already strained family schedules and budgets than it is
worth. This is especially true when the people who doll
the work, the wives, receive no compensation--psychic_or
-
financial--for their efforts.
Foreign Service wives have reacted to implicit
responsibilities for diplomatic entertaining in two ways.
Many women feel that they are foolish to continue to knock
themselves out and shortchange themselves and their families
by accepting these responsibilities and so they have simply
refused to Play the diplomatic entertaining game. Others
accept these implicit responsibilities, carry them off with
less help and less money than before and, needless to say,
feel resentful of those who in their words "do nothing."
This division among wives has contributed in large part to
the breakdwon of the sense of community and spontaneous
neighborliness which reportedly characterized Foreign
Service life overseas in the past.
In order to represent the best of the United States
to host country nationals, treat Foreign Service spouses
more equitably and thereby encourage the restoration of a
sense of community among Foreign Service families overseas,
the Forum has recommended that the agencies review and clarify
representational responsibilities and explore ways to com-
pensate spouses for their work and expenses.
Cultural Constraints
American diplomatic women are not the only one's
examining and challenging the professional, economic, and
social impact of the Foreign Service on their personal lives.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
31
ueclassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDp12-00651R000100160001-0
In December 1975, the Professional Association of Foreign
Service Officcers in Canada established a "committee that
:ould study the professional, financial, and related implica-
7i:ms for Foreign Service Officer spouses of the Foreign
7-vice life." The study done by this cormittee raised
s_milar issues of concern: wider employment opportunities
fcr spouses' participation in "official hospitality," more
frequent annual leave, improved housing conditions abroad,
and longer home leave." In West Germany, Foreign Service
wives are organizing to bring about changes in the thirteen-
year old "Women and Family Service ,(FFD). The General-
..c.Anseiger of December 24, 1970nal goal of the
Foreign Service wives... (is) "that they are given permission
to look for a job, within the limits of their possibilities,
while they are abroad, or that their cooperation with their
husband in foreign posts is adequately honored by the Foreign
Office." Among other things the wives are asking for are
"shorter,tours of duty in hardship posts,.early information
about imminent transfers, continued payment of contributions
to old-age insurance for wives- who have to stop working
because they accompany their husbands to a foreign post,
temporary suspension for female civil-servants, assistance
in finding a job to returning Foreign Service wives, and
permission to both spouses to work in the same embassy."
A very significant movement among diplomatic wives is
taking place in New York. On February 28, 1977 an Ad Hoc
committee of diplomatic wives, sponsored a general symposium
"The Role of The Diplomatic Wife--Its Future and Potential."
About 150 diplomatic wives from different countries dis-
cussed the findings of four discussion groups which focused
on (1) the Rcle of the Diplomatic Wife. (2) Personal
Adaptation, (3) Current Diplomatic Wives Associations and,
(4) Positive Aspects and Suggestions. The goal of the
symposium was "to exchange ideas and experiences, to
consider common aims and specific situations, and to improve
communication and information among diplomatic wives all
over the world." Again the issues raised were familiar ones:
clarification and definition of the wife's role, the problems
diplomatic life poses for the family, education fox. children,
economic inequities, employment and career opportunities for
diplomatic wives, adequate information, improved communication
between diplomatic wives and their governments.?
?????
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 flIAPflDA -
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
J4
The cultural constraints imposed by the traditions of
the diplomatic life-sytle are being questioned by women in
many nations. The Study Group on the Modern Foreign Service
Wife was particularly concerned with the need to shed the
traditions which are no longer usef141. In the process a
new image of the American diplomatic spouse would be
promoted reflecting the diversity and competence of these
women in a large number of fields. This alone would con-
tribute significantly to helping the foreign affairs agencies
"remain representative of American society."
?Mar
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
33
APPENDIX A
Jobs held by Foreign Service Wives Overseas,
as compiled by the FSI Survey, 1974-1977
Embassy Jobs
Nurse
Secretary--usually substitute, but sometimes permanent
Arabic translator
Commissary manager
Property inventory taker
Research assistant
Consular officer--when the regular officer is on leave,
or hasn't arrived yet
Visa officer--when the load is particularly heavy or
someone is on leave
USIS English Language Director
Teletype operator
Managing the home of Ambassador accredited to one or more
posts when his house is empty between visits
Budget and Fiscal work
Commissary, other work than managing
Proctor for Fulbright exams
Teaching English at Bi-national Centers
Jobs with Local Enterprise
Food columnist and cooking teacher
Advertising agency
Model
TV Commentator
Editor/writer
Magazine editor
Editing in a law office
Free-lance illustrating
Conversational English teaching at a local junior college
Economic research
Nurse at a local hospital
Lab assistant at an Agronomic Institute which is part of
the faculty of agriculture at a local university
Tutoring executives in English at local business firms
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
34
?
Editing business related English language publications for
local firm
Teaching at local univezsities and schools
Editing job at a bank
Airline hostess
Secretary for local businesses
Librarian at a local school
Interior decorator with local shop
Student counseling at local university
Free-lance photographer
Boutique owner
Cost estimator for an international moving company
Teacher/librarian at an Institute of Modern Languages
Social Worker
Teacher at a local parochial school
Illustrator
Purchaser of locally published books for U.S. universities
Beautician
Jobs with U.S. or Other Foreign (third country) Business
Public relations and personnel for a U.S. banking corpofation
Secretaries at foreign embhssies
Secretaries with U.S. businesses
Teaching in British or other third country schools
Translator for the UN
American University Alumnae Association
Jr)bF Held by Fore3gn Service Wives Overseas
Run motor pool at international school
Teaching at the American school
Manager of American Community Club
Managing the Fulbright Study program
Manager of the Recreation Association Club
Self-Generated Jobs
Piano lessons
Violin lessons
Art lessons
Organizer of a nursery school
Ceramic artist
Tutoring
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
_ -
35
The Spouses' Skills/Talent Bank Report
Th? creation of a centralized skills/talent bank for
the spouses of Foreign Service personnel is not a new idea,
but one that was suggested by many individuals prior to 1976.
The Medical Division in the State Department recommended
that the Department establish .a skills bank to locate quali-
fied medical personnel overseas who could provide emergency
medical services to Foreign Service personnel. In fact,
the concept of a skills bank was submitted as an employee
suggestion in 1972.
As early as 1971 the Department began issuing policy
statements and regulations to encouraige and facilitate
the overseas employment of spouses. In 1972,. another
directive (3FAM121.3-3) requested posts to establish local
skills inventories of dependents, while another (3FAM122.5-1)
stated that differential posts wei'e encouraged to employ
qualified Foreign Service dependents to limit the number
of U.S. citizens required at post. Nevertheless, the policy
directives and regulations were not uniformly implemented.
Most posts did not set up the required inventory nor hire
more spouses. The decentralized efforts to encourage the
hiring of spouses were not working.
In 1975, the Research Committee on Spouses, an ad hoc
study group of the Women's Action Organization (WAO) was
created to concentrate on expanding employment opportunities
for spouses. This committee, aware that increasing numbers
of spouses wanted to be gainfully employed overseas and that
they continued to express frustration over the difficulties
of finding such employment, reached a consensus very early
that a centralized skills/talent inventory was needed.
Several factors influenced this decision. The majority of
organizations which hire professionals to work abroad, in-
cluding the foreign affairs agencies, other U.S: Government
agencies, the International Organizations and American corp-
orations, do so through centralized, U.S.-based personnel
systems. The Committee felt that a ..centralized skills bank
located in Washington, D.C. would serve the needs of fhe
individuals and organizations better than several, scattered
in various places.
iIr r.nnv Approved for Release 2013/08/28 CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
36
The Committee also believed that the U.S. Government
would realize substantial savings as a result of a centralized
file. The specialized talent of spouses already stationed
abroad at government expense could be contracted at post
or from a neighboring mission, rather than being sent out
from Washington, as is the present practice. It was felt
that this more efficient system would go a long way towards
improving the morale of the Foreign Service community,
seriously affected by the current waste of talent. The
prospect of an overseas assignment would seem less constrain-
ing for the spouse who wished to continue her/his career
and would decrease the number of officers who, for this
reason, are choosing to spend longer tours in Washington.
Consequently, in December, '1975, with the support of
the WAO the Committee developed a proposal to create a
centralized Skills/Talent Bank in.WaShignton. The proposal
was discussed with several high-ranking officials in the
three foreign affairs agencies, including the Director
General of the Foreign Service in a meeting Committee members
had with her on February 5, 1976. Specifically the Research
Committee requested $3900 (or approximately 50 per spouse)
to fund the project.
In these discussions it became apparent that there was
a general lack of information about the concerns of spouses.
Responses to the need for an inventory of spouses' skills
varied from "Wives don't want to work," to "If they do,
they certainly aren't qualified in any areas the Foreign
Service could use.." It became even more important, then, to
be alJle to document the actual J.i1l. c:'"' the r.fouses, and
their attitudes towards gainful employment.
Committee members continued to meet for the next four
months with a designated Department liaison person, with the
hope that the Department would undertake, or at least
finance, the project. .In May, 1976, after receiving no
response from the Department about the inventory, the Com-
mittee decided that if the project were to become a reality,
they should proceed immediately with the mailing of a
questionnaire in order to reach everyone before the summer
reassignments cycle.
The questionnaire, designed in consultation with
the Department and other government and private personnel
specialists and'information systems analysts, became the base
of a data bank system which would facilitate easy organization,
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
tabulation and retrieval of vast quantities of informatio/:,
either manually or e]ectronically. Individuals were asked
to list their occupational speciality or specialities,
'educational qualifications, foreign language skills, emp]oy-
ment history and current employment status. The individual
were also asked to indicate their interest in full-time,
part-time, or volunteer work. This information would allow
the Project Director to match individuals who wanted employ-
ment with organizations looking for help. Each person was ?
asked to contribute a fee of three dollars to cover mailing
costs and other expenses.
In July, 1976, the questionnaire was mailed to 4672
spouses of Department of State employees. InNovember.__
and December, 1976, 1589 USIA spouses and 2040 AID spouses
received the questionnaire, making a total of 8201 question-
naires mailed. In addition, the project was widely publi-
cized through various magazines and newsletters so that
any individuals who were missed could participate.
The initial purpose of the project was to identify
and locate the available professional and technical expertise
of spouses and to encourage the utilization of these skills
by government and private organizations. In the final
analysis, however, the Skills/Talent Bank has become much
more. To date the Bank has received over 900 questionnaires
and an additional 400 comments and letters documenting the
enormous wealth and variety of talent. But the letters
and questionnaries have identified many problems created
by the unique demands of Foreign Service life, especially
the difficulties of maintaining a career while overseas.
Also, the Skills Bank became for many spouses (and even
employees) the only channel of communication with the foreign
affairs agencies.
Almost half of the respondents have an advanced degree,
and 10% of the total either have or expect to complete
doctoral degrees this year. In the medical field alone the
Bank has located: 27 Registered Nurses, many with speciali-
zations and most unemployed; a Pediatrician, a General
Practitioner with twenty years of experience, both un-
employed; three Nutritionists; three experienced Clinical
Psychologists; and 18 individuals with Master Degrees in
Social Work and counseling experience.
The Skills/Talent Bank has also identified spouse
expertise available overseas to perform work which has
previously been contracted from the U.S., such as architects,
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
C
38
computer specialists, economists, political analysts, and
interior designers. There are also lawyers, teachers,
school administrators, special education teachers, urban
planners, engineers, artists, writers, and business managers.
While many of these specialties do not represent the duties
of most posts, many do apply to some support service con-
tracted from the United States, or to work performed by
local employees, or to services which are needed, but are
not provided at all, such as pre-crisis counseling at
post. The Bank has also identified a variety of technical
skills, such as many unemployed secretaries and even a
mechanic in an underdeveloped country whose talent could
be used to train local employees.
The individuals who wrote to-the Projects Director
-
made it very clear that these skills are not being used.
One employee, an FSO-4, described this reaction to the
problem:
"I am resigning because my wife cannot pursue her
own career. I am disappointed that the Department
is not taking effective measures to deal with this
situation which is a growing personnel problem."
While others had not yet decided to resign, the
specific examples they provided of qualified spouses who
were overlooked at the time a job needed to be done, described
the same feeling of frustration. For instance, in a Central
American country a seven million dollar loan for a nutrition
program was approved without consulting with a nutrition
specialist, although a spouse at the post was trained in
a..1..a had experience in nutrition.
In another South American post, a linguist was
contracted from Washington at great expense when there was
an equally qualified spouse at post. And in a West African
.post, a person was hired on contract from the United States
to conduct an economic-commercial survey when there was
a better qualified spouse available who not only was fluent
in French but who knew the economic leaders of the country.
Had the Skills Bank been in operation, these examples might
not have happened.
In many instances, the source of frustration was due
to unrealistic expectations because the individuals had
received incorrect information. As one person commented,
"It's incredible that so many people in personnel
can go around making statements like, 'Of course
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0-
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
you will get a job at post,' without having any
idea of what the rules and regulations are."
Others referred to the problems created by lack of access
to training courses, particularly...the Foreign Service
Institute's language programs. The inability to speak the
language was one of the most serious handicaps to finding
employment mentioned by many people.
The Foreign Service is more than just a job for an
individual. It is a way of life which affects the entire
family and as such presents unique problems to the spouse
who hopes to continue working while abroad. First, normal
academic preparation for a career is not sufficient in
itself to provide an individual with the scope and flexi-
bility needed to create a position anywhere in the world.
Secondly, the mobility of Foreign Service life prevents
one from establishing continuity and Seniority in a field,
even if positions are found. Consequently the employment
pattern of most spouses is more likely to show a series of
unrelated jobs than career develo2ment. This mobility can
totally disrupt the career of those with highly specialized
skills. This is brought.out in the following comment:
."Bravo for the Skills Bank if it can in any way
help those of us who have lost touch with our own
careers."
Unanticipated re-entry problems were discussed by
many people who underlined the need for continual -career
counseling for spouses. Fcr instance, a teacher who had
been overseas for zeveral ycl:ars found the U.F. job 7.:-.rket
in education completely changed when she returned. Not
only were the old avenues closed to her, but the new pos-
sibilities which exist for those who have had the opportunity
to retrain themselves were also closed. Another said:
"I know that I will have great difficulty in
locating any interesting position when I eturn
to Washington. The trouble with all my previous
experience is that there is no piece of paper giving
me instant placement at a certain ability level.
I have taught, but I have no certificate. I have
worked as a secretary, but I have no Civil Service
rating."
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
?
Declassified in Pad- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Those who volunteer their time overseas face problems
too, when they attempt to convince employers that the skills
acquired and developed in the years of volunteer work are
valid experience for gainful employment. While the Civil
Service Commission, as well as most private employers, do
recognize this kind of experience,?the.prosective employee
muet_he.....attle to explain t1.1..tience'in terms people
Outside the fOrel-gn-SerIce can understisnd7-
An unanticipated, but perhaps the most important,
service the Skills/Talent Bank has performed until now is
to provide a responsive two-way channel of communication
for spouses and even employees with the Department, where
there apparently was none before. The majority of the 400
letters received described specific problems encountered
and requested information on Department policies, regulations
and practices. In another case, the wife of a Junior Officer
wrote, saying:
"--My husband just joined the Foreign Service. I
expect to finish my MA degree this June and want to
know what my career opportunities will be. You are
the only person I know to contact."
The Skills Bank has also received 27 letters from
working couples describing problems caused by a lack of
coordination and responsive communication with the agencies.
Many felt that they could not get the help they needed
from their employers.
The Skills/Talent Bank was a pilot project but already
bureaus within the State Department ;Ind an office ir
USIA are using the files to locate qualified individuals.
In addition, the Project Director has received requests
for information and copies of the questionnaire from the
Canadian Office of External Affairs, the German and Nor-
wegian Embassies, and the spouse organizations of the
International Monetary Fund and the United Nations.
The responses from the individuals the Proj-ect was
designed to serve have been equally enthusiastic, as in the
case of a Career Minister, who wrote,
"--With thanks in advance and much luck on what you're
doing--something I wish had been undertaken years
ago, but something I'm glad, in any case, to see
underway." .
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651Rnnn1 nniRnnni
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
41
A few were extremely pessimistic about the end result.
"-- While I encourage your efforts and believe that
such a 'bank' could be extremely useful, I confess
that I am very pessimistic with regard to the utili-
zation of the talent of Foreign Service wives because
of the seemingly total disregard of the problem on
the part of the Department."
The vast majority expressed the hope that the
volunteer efforts of the Project Director and members of
the Research Committee, who devoted an untold number of
hours to the monumental tasks of organization, tabulation
of the information received, publicity and referral and_
counseling services, would not be in vain. As reflected
in the comment of a spouse with a PhD in econoaLcsj they
stressed the importance of making the SRTIls/Talent Bank
a permanent part of the Department.
"--I am delighted to see the Skills/Talent Bank,
although a little disappointed-to find that this
enterprise has to involve so much dedicated volun-
teer work. One would have thought that the Service
could recognize its own interest, both in making it
easier for Foreign Service families tt wish to
maintain two careers to do so, and in making use of
the large and growing fund of talent which could so
much improve the effectiveness of the U.S. repre-
sentational effort."
The Forum bg!lieves that the most appropriate place
for the Skills Bank is in the Family Liaison Office and has
recommended that a coordinator of the Skills/Talent Bank
be part of the staff of FLO.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
42
Orientation and Training Study Group Reocrt
Effective orientation and training programs are
essential for spouses as well as employees. Foreign Service
spouses are partners in family decision-making:and are often
solely responsibile for helping the family through a smooth
transition and adjustment to life abroad. The family's
ability to adapt successfully to life in foreign countries
has a direct effect on the employee's performance and post
morale.
Orientation
Women involved in the Forum project defined "orientation"
to include far more than the quality and availability of
post reports. They viewed it as a-.continuous process,
beginning at the time the family is considering a career
in the Foreign Service and renewed at each successive period
of transition.
Many wives do not know enough about Foreign Service
life before their husbands enter the Service. The woman
of today is a partner in making decisions that affect her
family's welfare, but to make wise decisions, she must have
accurate information about a career in the Foreign Service
so that she and her husband together can weigh the advantages
and disadvantages of Foreign Service life for them. Basic
information about the obligations sane: options :f Forein
Service spouses would help prepare women for the demands
of diplomatic life.
Several women at the Forum's Open Meeting in November
brought up this point, and the group agreed that unrealistic
or inaccurate impressions of Foreign Service life lead
eventually to dissatisfaction and frustration, ad that the
wife should be given an "honest evaluation" of her role in
the Foreign Service so that the couple can "work out some
of these questions when they are considering entering."
The initial pre-entrance orientation can be general,
but once the family has entered the Foreign Service, the
wife needs more detailed and specific information. If she
has questions on health, education, housing, financial
management or training, there is no one place where she
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
43
can go to obtain this information. It is scattered in
many different offices, and the wife, being unfamiliar
with the Department, is bewildered when she starts trying
to find answers to her questions. The husband may not be
able to answer all her questions either, and there is no
one person, Foreign Service employee or counselor, to whom
the two of them can turn for advice or answers to their
questions.
In a letter received by the Forum, a wife says, "I
get the impression from talking to new arrivals (at post)
and from talking to new Foreign Service wives at the
Family Workshop that the information on one's allowances,
hsalth benefits, shipment of effects, per diem, even the
advice to keep open a Stateside bank account, is far from
easy to come by. So many new personnel. are misled or un-
informed. 'I didn't know we could do that... didn't know
we were supposed to. do this...' The husband is occupied
with higher considerations as to what type of job he is.
to do and how to prepare for it?to him it probably seems
crass to try to get all one is entitled to during the
transition period."
Another wife writes, "The wives know nothing about
their husband's jobs or what our government is doing over-
seas."
..?
!
Wives who have attended the Junior Officer Course at
FSI with their husbands have found this orientation helpful,
but many cannot attend.. Often they are unaware that they
are allowed to participate. Many times the employee's
famjly dons rot accompany him to :7ashignt-lin for basic trail.-
ing, either because they do not have the money to live in
Washington for the training period, or because they have
obligations and responsibilities at their former place of
residence. Wives with young children are unable to attend
because of the lack of child care facilities at FSI.
The information on foreign posts and how to proceed
to post is also scattered. It often happens that the
husband precedes the wife to post, and she is the one who
is responsible for packing up the household effects and
making arrangements for herself and the family to join the
husband. Wives need to know where they can get information
and assistance.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
One wife say's, "/ think that information on the
(i)
F Bign Service should be consolidated and put into a packet.
When we were getting ready to go overseas, my husband would
bring home pamphlets pertaining to regulations in the
Foreign Service, but it was confusing. for me because I
did not get an overall view of everything that had to be
done. "I also feel that the information should be as con-
crete as possible."
Another wife suggests that "the services that are
available to wives should be documented in a publication
that is updated frequently and eventually paid for by the
Department of State, i.e., medicals every two years, services
available through AFSA, the services of the lounge, etc."
"More emphasis should be placed on explaining F.S. regulations
and how they apply to the family, perhaps in the Family
Workshop or in special seminars at post."
- The Family Liaison Office (FLO) recommended by the
Forum in this report could provide spouses with most of
the orientation material they need or refer them to the
appropriate resources. The Forum has recommended that
FLO initiate direct contact with the spouse to correct the
present, inadequate system of relaying information--"the
husband route"--both before and after entrance into the
( oreign Service. FLO would provide the. foreign affairs
.gencies with a channel of communication with families and
would assist spouses in gaining access to the information
they need to function successfully.
In addition, counseling services within FLO could
provide new spouses an op.i,ortunity to discv_Fs tiei
concerns about Foreign Service life. An interview with
both the employee and the spouse before their first assign-
ment could promote a better understanding of Foreign Service
life in general and could insure that the new family gains
as full an appreciation of Foreign Service life as possible.
Training
Most Foreign Service wives believe that improved
training opportunities could make their lives in the Foreign
Service more rewarding and could enhance their contribution
to their families and the service. However, the Department
of State should realize that many wives are' unable to attend
Declassified in Part :Sa-nitized-Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-OO651PnnninnlAnnni
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
45
full-time classes?sometimes because the classes are open
" :ly on a "space available" basis, and sometimes bcausa
o: conflicting family responsibilities.
The present small attendance ?I spouses in classes
at FSI is not an indication of spouse d interest in further
training. Spouses are interested in all aspects of training--
from language study and area studies to the excellent and
varied courses offered by the Workshop for Foreign Service
Families.
The Forum received many letters from women who think
it is essential for them to speak the language of the country
in which they are living:
"Allow wives to train in languages. .Not just before
departing and on a space available basis. If it's
important for the man to speak, it is equally im-
portant for the wife. She'll be mugh more willing
to entertain people she can communicate with."
"Actually, I have found that by making an effort
to learn the Arabic language, I can talk to the
Arabic women and understand how they see themselves,
as the encouragers and domestic caretakers to their
families, and I can hear from first hand exactly
what they think. Although they don't understand
my role, it is a very good feeling to know that I
could establish communication within two years. With
two more years, there might even be a dialogue or
undersanding. 1.t last thesc w.pmen have the satis-
faction of knowing someone takes a real interest in
them, enjoys their language, and learns from them."
"I have resolved that I will never go to a country
again without language training. Being unable to
speak the language makes me more dependent on my
husband, increasing my fears of living in a: new
place, reduces my self-confidence and nourishes
resentments. Not only should language be available
at FSI for wives on an equal basis (not just tag-a-
long with classes set up for officers) but also classes
should be set up at post on an intensive ,basis for
wives. Such an investment by the Department would
bring enormous benefits to mozale and capability."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
46
"No room in language class. We cannot be admitted
if there are already six people in a class. So, we
go overseas unable to speak the language. Very ugly
American."
Many wives would like permission to take the language
proficiency test for a rating upon completion of language
training.
The Forum has recommended that the Department set
a high priority on training in languages and other cross-
cultural skills for spouses and that the Department make
training and orientation materials more widely available
by issuing them in written form or on cassettes and video-
tapes. These materials should be ava,i.lable at posts abroad
as well as in Washington. Per diem for family members to
accompany the employee to Washington for orientation,
training and consultation would allow many more wives to
gain the benefits of increased training opportunities, and
child care facilities at FSI would free many mothers of
young children to attend classes. All wives feel that the
money spent by the government to encourage wives to attend
courses or to make materials available to them for home
study would be money well spent.
flprlaccifiPri in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
47
Re-entry Study Group Reoort
For many Foreign Service wives; re-entry to the
United States is a time of severe stress. For families
that have served many years abroad, re-adjustment to life
in the United States is similar to adjustment to life in
a foreign country.
The difficulties of this transition have not been
fully appreciated by the Department of State, possibly
because it assumes that returning home should not, in
theory, present problems to families. However, women
reported that the very fact that problems are not expected
makes the transition more difficult.
The Forum's Re-entry Study Group analyzed the factors
that are a part of the re-entry crisis, as presented in
letters, the FSI Re-entry Seminar and other conversations
and found that, while all families do not experience the
same combination of difficulties, the following stresses
play a part in "re-entry shock."
Reverse Culture Shock
American life is considerably more complex, competi-
tive, commercial and congested than life at most foreign
posts. The wife must adjust to a sometimes radically
2ifferent life style after ycars in a foreign 2.,)v:i.ronnt.
While adapting to these conditions, she is at the same time
coping with the adjustment problems of her husband and
children--the whole family needs reassuring.
Loneliness is a factor for the wife who may have
few social contacts in the Washington area. She often
feels like a outsider in the neighborhood and community
where, for many, there is no network of family, relatives
or old friends for emotional support. This is particularly
the case for foreign-born wives. The sense of anonymity
is heightened by the feeling that no one understands or
cares about her problems, and the average American is
indifferent to her intercultural experience.
narlaccifiPri in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
48
Feelings of alienation are strong, although sometimes
i'--ciefined. To quote a few wives: "Extreme change can
ci.a one a sense of unreality. Altogether one tends to
feel like a being from outer space." "I felt like a foreigner
in my own country." "I don't feel quite American."
The rapidity. of change in the United States intensifies
the likelihood that the wife will feel very much "out of
it" after only a few years away. In this country, the women's
movement, for example, burgeoned while she was abroad.
The Foreign Service wife feels she has not kept up with
her colleagues in the American mainstream and loses confidence
in herself.
Many wives suffer an "identity crisis" upoil re-entry.
Abroad, whatever the problems of foreign living, the wife
was part of the official American community. ' She may have
felt that she was a significant spokesperson of the United
States as the wife of a diplomat. Back home she is anonymous,
at least temporarily.
Special problems frequently arise: returning as a
widow with no home base or network of old friends; a child
returning for schooling, unaccompanied by a.parent, ora
wife returning ahead of her husband for purposes of children's
sc*nooling. In addition to the emotional trauma, all of
t.3e circumstances Tay entail great. financial hardship,
particularly if temporary housing allowances or other
benefits do not apply.
Medicdi Treatment
The impersonality of the Medical Division was cited
by an astonishing number of wives as contributing to the
stress of returning to the United States. Many wives wrote
that medical personnel are insensitive to the emotional
strain being experienced by the whole family. Wives feel
that they are not treated with respect and dignity.and that
there is little appreciation of how frightening unfamiliar
tropical diseases, for example, can be. They also reported
inadequate practical help with the follow-up of service-
induced medical problems. In sum, the Medical Division
was seen as augmenting the trauma of transition rather than
ameliorating it, as it might be expected to do, by the
sympathetic handling of family members.
CI
I
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
,
)eclassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R00010016000-i-u
49
Housing Difficulties
Although the Foreign Service family abroad should be
aware of the steadily increasing cost of housing in the
Washington area, the reality upon teturning is a shock.
While searching for an affordable house, families face
bewildering choices of geographical jurisdiction and school
districts. Since the employee often begins working soon
after the family's return, the house search falls to the
wife. She may at the same time be caring for her children,
who are not yet placed in school and who have no friends.
With only one month temporary allowance, the pressure
to find housing quickly is severe. No family attempting
to buy a house upon return to the United States can pos-
sibly expect to be settled within the 30-day period covered
by the temporary housing allowance. ,Even if the family
found the right house on the first day of their search,
the process of securing financing and coming to settlement
takes a minimum of 30 days, and often as long as 60 days.
When the 30-day temporary housing allowance expires, the
family must move to other temporary quarters, often paying
a very high rent for the privilege of a short-term lease.
Children's Education and Adjustment
Foreign Service children have special problems in
this area. They may be academically far ahead, far behind,
or both at the same time, according to subject. Mothers
need to make decisions. often under the prns:ure of time,
and may lack the detailed knowledge of Washington area
schools necessary for wise choices.
Children suffer the same cultural shock as their
parents. They miss their friends, school, sports and
overseas environment. It is hard to fit into the peer
group in Washington--they are different, and they have a
sense of being rejected because of different experiences.
Career Continuity
A returning wife is often faced with picking up the
threads of her education or career, abandoned when she went
abroad. She has lost her professional and other contacts,
A .^,nrrix/PCI for Release 2013/08/28 CIA-RDP12-00651R0001001606-01-0
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
50
and she worries that if she starts something new (job or
education), it will be one more thing to "pack up" when
The goes overseas again.
Poor Communication with the State Department
Wives feel that there is little recognition by the
Department of problems facing families. There is a sense
of being treated "with more disdain than deference," to
quote one wife. The Foreign Service wife believes that
she is an integral part of the diplomatic unit and should
be recognized as such. She does not receive adequate
information about regulations and benefits affecting the
family. Information directed to a wife via her husband
never reaches her, with the result that the.wife remains
poorly informed and is thus handicapped in coping with
family matters.
:
n if i rl r.nnv Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
0
51
Re-entry and the Forum Recommendations
Several of the recommendations made by the Forum
this report would help to facilitate the transition t: .1fe
back home.
Recommendation #1: FLO
The Family Liaison Office (FLO) would serve as an
information center for families and could refer women t_
information on housing, education and regulations affec:
the family's recent transfer. This service would be es-
pecially helpful to women who have.returned to Washington
without their husbands or for those whose husbands have
begun working in Washington and cannot help the family
settle in.
By maintaining contact with posts abroad, FLO could
help reduce the "shock" element of re-entry, insuring that
families abroad are well-informed on what to expect in
Washington.
Counseling services at FLO would insure that wives have
easy access to someone who recognizes and understands their
problems. Pre-crisis counseling, the availability of
someone with whom the wife can "talk it over," would facilitate
the family's successful readjustment.
The Spouses' Skills/Talent Bank would help women
maintain career continuity, and career counseling would help
the spouse to gain the full benefit of her overseas ex-
periences in the Washington area job market.
FLO could also serve as a re-entry registration center,
facilitating the efforts of AAFSW to institute better
publicized and more successful "Welcome Home" activities.
Recommendation 43: Training
The Re-entry Seminar at FSI would be more beneficial to
families if the materials presented were available before
D,r+ - Caniti7pr1 C.:my ADDroved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
52
the family returns. By knowing what to expect, the family
would be better prepared to cope ? with the re-entry situ-
ation. Take-home materials, printed materials, cassettes
and audio-video materials could be prepared on the subject
of re-entry for distribution abroad.
Recommendation 05 (Travel) and Recommendation #6
(Nedical) relate to the travel and medical needs of rc
families as described above and need no further exnlan
Recommendation #8: (Education)
The Foreign Service Educational and Counseling Ce7
(FSECC). is working to create an up-,to=date file on schoc.
in the Washington area. FSECC has offered to provide a
complete re-entry package on schools in Washington for
distribution to Foreign Service 'families preparing to
return. The For requests fundin& for FSECC, which is
supported by contributions from AFSA and AAFSW for the
presentation and distribution of this package.
?
-ning
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
53
Women in Transition Study Group Report
The Study Group on Women in Transition was set up to
consider the problems which confront 'a Foreign Service wif
at the termination of her Foreign Service "career," either
by retirement, widowhood or divorce. The committee devote.
most of its attention to the problems of widowhood, separ-
ated and divorced women, since retired women did not com-
municate serious adjustment problems to the Forum.
At the time of widowhood, separation or divorce, the
Foreian Service wife is uniquely handicapped in coping with
financial, emotional or physical difficulties. She has bee.
geographically and culturally separated. from her home roots
and probably has been totally dependent on her husband for
support and financial planning. In addition, she has had no
direct contact with the Department of State.
In a period of rapidly changing concepts of the role of
women, there has been an increasing acceptance of a woman's
need to be an independent individual with her own place in
the economic world. However, the Foreign Service wife is
uniquely deprived of the opportunity for continuous training
and continuous employment because of the demands of Foreign
Service life. As one wife said, "If a wife gives up her own
career to support that of her husband she takes a terrific
risk. If he should die or divorce her, she will have no
resume of skills meaningful to a future employer."
To prr:E-ent insecurity of the Foreign 3.i.-rvice wife is
aggravated by the rapid spread nation-wide of the "no-fault
divorce" and the easing of divorce laws generally, and by
the growing realization that "terrorism" has become a tool
of diplomacy, and that she is more likely than her pre-
decessors to become a "woman in transition" at an earlier
age.
A central point in the discussion of widowhood and
divorce is the principle of accrued rights: that the
unearning wife earns a gradually accruing fund of rights and
vested interests in whatever future requisites are acquired
in the marriage and assured to her husband,.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651Pnnn1 nni Ant-m-1 n
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
54
These accrued rights are being recognized nationally
the following ways:
1. Under the new tax reform law of 1976, a nc
working wife can set up an independent, ta. -ree
retirement account in her own name.
2. Social Security payments to wives recognize
wife's vested interest in a marriage.
3. Representative Patricia Schroeder of Colora:
has proposed a bill to amend the Civil Serv:
retirement plan, to provide that a former
who has been married to a Federal employee f:
at least twenty years would be entitled to a
portion of that employee's retirement annuity.
Foreign Service wives earn accrued rights in a marr:,
on the basis of the generally observed practice of moving
households at regular short intervals--with attendant
hardships in change of climate, health conditions, availabl:
schooling, varied housing and new languages--sometimes to
posts with little intellectual stimulation and no opportu-
nity to be gainfully employed, with the obligatiOn to act as
a partner with the Foreign Service husband in representing
the United States abroad.
The Department of State ought now to recognize these
rights and interests by providing the wife with information
so that she can determine what security she is entitled to
on the basis of her presence overseas at post with her
husband, sucn Lc, the ,:untinuance of medical insurance,
travel and schooling rights for children and the current
condition of the husband's retirement or disability benefits.
The Family Liaison Office (FLO) proposed by the Forum
would be of great benefit to the widowed, separated or
divorced woman, providing and promoting a "feeling of
respectability about seeking guidance" which is lacking at
present. FLO Would serve as a point of direct contact
between the spouse and the Department of State, and the
office's counseling services could be invaluable during the
period of transition. Through its contact with posts
abroad', FLO could provide.assistance for women in difficulty
around the world by disseminating information and locating
help.
n,,,-inecifiarl in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
55
The committee hopes that the Department of State will
take an interest in Representative Schroeder's bill mentioned
above. As one wife says," I hope thought will be given
to providing for the other half of_the husband-wife teams .
that make successful diplomatic service possible. Personnel
serving abroad know that the husband goes from one govern-
ment office to another.. .only the view from his window
changes. It is the wife who struggles to build a safe and
healthy home environment for the family."
At present, Mrs. Schroeder is preparing similar legis-
lation for the military, and she has said that she will
then turn her attention to the Foreign Service. Foreign
Service wives feel that they are entitled to the same pro-
tection as the wives of Civil Service employees.
The committee would also like to call the Department
of State's attention to the need to reinstate the obligatory
nature of the provision for the survivor's annuity, with
no right allowed the wife to waive the claim or the husband's
obligation. Provision of a survivor's annuity was required
for a few years to provide relief for widows. However,
the regulations adopted in 1976 have dropped this require-
ment, and many wives consider this to be a step backward.
They feel the husband should not have the right to ignore
their vested interests in the marriage and that the
provision of survivor's annuities should be compulsory.
(This concern was not presented to the AAFSW Board, and
therefore it is not included here as a recommendation but
as a topic for further study and discussion.)
The suggestions above are made with the adage in mind
that "the time to 'prepare the ship for the storm is not
when the hurricane's on.." The Foreign Service wife who is
assured that her rights are recognized, that help will be
at hand if and when she needs it, and that her future is
not unfairly clouded by the personal sacrifice she makes
in serving overseas, will make a greater contribiftion
to the foreign affairs effort.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
ii
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
.1
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
25X1
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
? _ t?
k .
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
PURPOSE
As a result of the identification by the Office
of the Director of Central Intelligence of a potential
problem regarding the assignment.of working married
couples overseas, a working group was formed in
October 1978 to review the current policies, practices
and problems associated with working married couples,
specifically when either or both spouses are employed
by the Central Intelligence Agency. The working group
was comprised of representatives of the DDA, the DDO,
the DDSU and the Federal Women's Program Manager.
Interviews were held with career management personnel
and with other offices directly concerned with the field
assignment of Agency employees. . No interviews were held
directly with the general Agency population, although
the working group noted a deep interest in the subject
during conversations with individual employees. An
interim report was written on 9 November 1978. The
complete and final report is contained in the following
pages.
The discussion, findings and recommendations given
herein represent the opinions of the participants of the
working group and have not been coordinated in advance
with any office within the Agency.
The working group was provided materials and
information by the Federal Women's Board. That Board
has requested a copy of this final report.
7
0_1
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
,rriN1
- ,?
?
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
If a full-time position simply is not available,
and the staff employee on LWOP is offered a contract
position, the Task Force believes that the employee is
currently at a disadvantage in having no precise counseling,
in advance of signing the contract, of the ramifications
and possibilities of the contract itself. For instance,
it is possible to have written into a contract that
Federal retirement benefits can be deducted from the salary
in lieu of Social Security, permitting the spouse to accrue
both service time and deposits into the retirement fund.
As another example, employees are often not aware that a
staff employee who accepts contract employment in the field
also must be recleared and reprocessed upon return to
Headquarters in order to be reinstated as a staff employee -
a potential delay of 30 to 90 days in EOD date. There are
enough ambiguities and questions encountered in the writing
of a contract in the field to pose some real difficulties '
for the prospective employee.
When a position becomes available in the field, it
(7:would appear to be more cost effective for both the Station
and Headquarters to survey the talent available at the
field location, including staff employees on LWOP, before
requesting PCS staffing from Headquarters. It is not clear)
that this is-commonly done at the present time.
RECOnMENDATION NO. 5: Agency policy should
direct that when a vacancy becomes available
in the field, both Headquarters and the Station
should first review locally available per-
sonnel, i.e., Agency staffers on LWOP, Agency
staffers working as contract employees, before f.
requesting PCS staffing from Headquarters.
This should include those spouses scheduled to/
arrive at the field location in the time frame'
when the position will be. available.
10 -
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
While perhaps tangential to the problem of working
married couples, the Task Force had its attention brought
to the problem of wives who were not Agency staff employees
but who have worked in the field under contract and upon
return to Washington seek employment as staff employees.
For example, wives of Office of Communications personnel
often serve numerous successive field tours and may
have ten or more years experience under contract. Upon
return to Headquarters they must "stand in line with new
recruits" to process into the Agency, and await security
and medical clearances. The Task Force does not believe
that it is feasible to waive any of these requirements,
but suggests processing could be expedited and could be
begun in the field for these employees.
RECOMMENDATION NO. 6: Spouses of Agency
employees with field contract experience,
upon applying for staff status at Head-
quarters, should be given preferential and
expeditious processing through the security
and medical clearances, and should have their
previous experience weighted into their grade/
step whenever possible. 0,64.va./ a co an a -elm"'
a414-umA:7
Lack of Information
The Agency's working married couples are unable to
readily identify job opportunities that will permit them
to work together at field posts. The Agency also does not
adequately inform its working married couples of the options
available to them with regard to employment in the field.
Confusion and misunderstanding usually prevail as regards
the availability of jobs for spouses, part-time work, leave?
without pay status, contracts, benefits and.allowances, and/
other policies concerning the employment of spouses in the
field. Moreover, individuals seeking information on these
topics often do not know where to go for answers.
Component personnel offices or personnel evaluation
and management staffs (PEMS) are normally the points of
contact for obtaining information of this nature. However,
the quality and extent of information available or given
in these offices vary widely. There are instances in which
a working spouse is told something different (in discussing
contract employment, for example) than is told to another
person in essentially the same situation. Often there is
?
CO'
- 11 -
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
tiTla
??*-
'
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28 : CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
no information available at all on job opportunities in
the field outside of the station (i.e., in the Embassy,/
in another official U. S. installation, in the U. S.
community, in the foreign community, etc.).
Itis evident that improvement is needed in the
dissemination .Of_inforMation-ConCerning. all aspects of
employment_ip_the_ field for yorkjpg.pou5.e.5_pf Agency,
.employees,Ass.ignesi.to_a_field_pe 'Additionally, there
appears to be a need for more extensive counseling for
working married couples on their career options when
service in the field is a necessary part of the job of
one or both.
The Department of State, which has problems similar
to our own in assigning employees abroad, is approaching the
task of information/dissemination and counseling for its
foreign service personnel through two facilities: a Family
Liaison Office and an Overseas Briefing Center. The Family
Liaison Office provides a broad range of information for
ernp1oyees serving abroad. It is also undertaking a job
referral role which includes a talent/skills bank 'coMputer
file of employee qualifications. Overseas, the Family
Liaison Office plans to provide assistance, information, job
referral service, etc., _through Family Liaison Officers at
post. The second office, the Overseas Briefing Center,
provides information on overseas posts and conducts orientation
couises for employees going abroad and for those returning
from overseas as well.
Two options come readily to mind in considering ways
that the Agency can improve its mechanisms for distributing
information on employment in the field and related considera-
tions of concern to working married couples.- One approach
would be to revamp current procedures in personnel offices
to enable these offices to render this service more adequately.
Another approach would be to establish a central office or
reference point to collect and disseminate information
related to employment in the field and to provide or arrange
col:nseling for working married couples pursuing careers
involving service in the field. A central skills bank con-
taining information on spouses would assist assignment
officers in matching spouse skills ilith available job openings
in field posts. A pamphlet or written brochure containing
information on contract employment, benefits and allowances,
and other information of concern to working spouses would be
useful in providing uniform and consistent information to
working spouses both at Headquarters and in.the field.
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
""-
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
RECOMMENDATION NO. 7: A central office
or reference point should be established
within the Agency to collect and disseminate
information related to employment in the
field and to provide or arrange counseling
for working married couples pursuing careers
involving service in the field.
RECOMMENDATION NO. 8: To clarify much of
the misunderstanding and confusion which
many employees now have, the Office of
?Personnel should publish a fact sheet
outlining the types of contract employment
available and a brief description of each.
- . ,
Lackof Agency-Wide Policies
e of the first efforts of the working group was
to iden ify current Agency policy on issues affecting
married w king couples. This proved to be more difficult
than anticfiated.
The workii1 group was unable to locate an Agency-wide
general statemen regarding the employment and assignment
of working couples. On other issues such as nepotism,
separate tours and ImpP, components were found to have
differing interpretatNps and thus differing practices.
Components outside the Nerations Directorate appear to
experience an informationN ap on decisions affecting
field employment.
044
In order to in re uniform treatment of employees,
Agency-wide policy need to be established in several areas.
The first step should be a general policy statement on
1 field assignments for working marrie- couples outlining the
options, similar to the one adopted br.the Department of
1 State several years ago.
In the future, it would be helpful if,tvhen the Office
of General Counsel is requested by one comporieet to provide
an opinion on a matter affecting field employmdAS, that
this opinion be provided to all Agency component,so that
all are operating on the same standard.
- 13 -
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0
INTERNATIONAL
ArrfOAL WAVE?
TRE RIVIERA?
The skies along the French Riviera seemed
unusually leaden. Some people said later
that it wasn't the atmosphere that appeared
strange as much as the sea itself, which the
thought had an ominous yellow look. Dlt
no one was quite prepared for what hap-
pened just after lunch.
Michel Burgeaud, keeper of the light-
house at Antibes, looked out and saw the
waters of the Mediterranean receding as
they never had in anyone's memory. "A
wide area of the sea bottom that I have
never seen uncovered before was suddenly
high and dry," Burgeaud said. The ebb tide
the Var River, which rushes into the Medi-
terranean near the airport, piled against the
landfill and triggered a huge underwater
earth slide. The effect, one scientist said,
was like "what happens in a sink when you
pull out the plug suddenly." The water was
sucked away from the shore, and then
slammed back.
11111 puttu
FOREIGN SERVICE
STAY-AT-HOMES
A new spirit has infected the corps of 3,300
men and women who represent the United
States Government abroad, and it isn't
exactly a love of travel. "I figured it out,"
said one Foreign Service officer recently.
"If you bby yourself a house in Washington
in six figures, you make more in annual
rtermath of the wave in Nice: Nature toys with Europe's playground
J
?
Y. Costsaliou?Sygma
lasted for fifteen minutes, until 300 yards of
mud fiats that are normally under water
were exposed. And then, Burgeaud re-
called, "the sea returned brutally with a
gigantic wave that kept rushing forward for
a good five minutes."
WALL OF WATER: In those five minutes, the
wave roared into the 30 miles of coastline
from Cannes to the Italian border last week.
Dozens of yachts were sunk. Cars and boats '
were jumbled together along the beach.
Luxury boutiques facing the picture-post-
card ports that dot the coast were smashed.
And eleven Persons died, most of them
washed away in the sudden wall of water. '
Eight of the .victims were construction
workers who drowned when the wave de-
stroyed 300 yards of a breakwater for a new
N7.:;ciallsort near the airport in?Iiic,e.
In?we last three years, 30 million tons of
rock and dirt have been poured into the sea
there to build the port and a new runway.
The enormous landfill project was both a
appreciation than you .can from all the
allowances and adjustments the State De-
partment makes for overseas duty. So why
the hell go overseas?" ? ?
Money is only one of the reasons why
younger diplomats are increasingly shun-
ning the main role for which they were
hired?representing the U.S. overseas. In
Congressional testimony last summer, Sec-
retary of State Cyrus Vance mentioned the
financial problem as well as some others. .
"At no time since 1946 has service been
more difficult than it is in so many posts
today, or as dangerous," he said. "Thequal-
ity of life in many foreign capitals has dete-
riorated while the threat to personal safety
has increased. The declining value of the
dollar and high inflation in many nations has
made our task more difficult. Moreover,
with a growing number of families in which
both spouses are pursuing professional ca-
reers, there is understandable increasing
family reluctance to leave the U.S."
American officials?whose work often re-
quires them to socialize with the country's
elite?in the lower-middle-class income
bracket. And while terrorism is not high on
the list of reasons the reluctant envoys give
for shunning overseas posts, most are
aware that six U.S. Government officials
abroad have been killed and 34 more in-
volved in terrorist attacks or kidnappings
so far this year.
But profound changes in Americans'
attitudes toward their careers, along with
the women's movement, are at the root of
the State Department's problem. "In the
old days, a Foreign Service officer went
where he was assigned," says Peter Krogh,
dean of Georgetown University's School of
Foreign Service. "Family and feminist in-
terests came to the forefront in the late '60s,
when we had a period where people just
? weren't going to be ordered around any-
more. People are now asking not, 'What
can.I do for the institution?' but, 'What can
the institution do for me?"
US GENERATION: Examples of the Me?or,
more accurately, the Us?Generation
abound. A man sent to Eastern Europe
leaves his family at home so his wife can pur-
sue her career in real estate; lonely and
recognizing the strain on his marriage, here-
'quests an early transfer back to Washington.
A young officer in the Sudan informs the
department that he will no longer accept
_ hardship posts after his wife suffers a
botched Caesarean. "My daughter has
a learning disability," explains another
officer, who recently returned from Europe.
"Most foreign countries don't have the pro-
grams she needs, and nothing will stand
between me and my kid getting an educa-
tion." The same man says he also realized
that his career was thwarting his wife's am-
bition to be a photographer: "If a woman
wants her own career after giving all those
dinner parties to further her husband's ca-
reer, she has every right to it."
The State Department has taken several
steps to deal with the new emphasis on
family ; concerns. In cases where. both the
husband apd wife are FSO's, they get joint ,
assignments whenever possible. Spouses of
Foreign Service officers are encouraged to
learn the language of the country to which
they are being sent, and they are no. longer
the first to be bumped from crowded
classes: And, at Vance's urging, the depart-
=DI has created a famil -liaison offee to ^
adjust both to life overseas and
back in the U.S.
. Senior officials in the department insist
that the problem is a limited one. "We are
able, for the most part, to get most of the
people to where we want to put them and
when, but it takes more time, more negoti-
ations," said Arthur Woodruff, State's
deputy director. of assignments. Neverthe-
less, it remains clear that for a grow-
ing number of U.S. diplomats?as for oth-
er Americans as a whole?the family now
Declassified in Partf_Sanitized_Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP12-00651R000100160001-0