《中英對照讀新聞》MPs say agencies should do more to recruit female spies 國會議員說，情報機關應更努力招募女性情報員

◎管淑平

UK intelligence needs to do more to recruit middle-aged women and mothers to be spies, using websites like Mumsnet, according to senior MPs.

英國情報單位必須利用「媽咪網」這類網站，加強招募中年婦女和媽媽擔任情報員，資深國會議員說。

請繼續往下閱讀...

In a report, the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) said such women were an "untapped recruitment pool" for MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.

情報與安全委員會（ISC）在一份報告中說，對軍情五處、軍情六處和政府通訊總部（GCHQ）而言，這類女性是「尚未開發的人才庫」。

It said more than half of the civil service were women, but the figure was 37％ in the intelligence agencies.

報告說，公務員的女性比例超過一半，但在情報機構，這個數據是37％。

Hazel Blears, the Labour MP who led the report, called for a culture change.

負責這份報告的工黨國會議員海瑟‧布利爾斯呼籲改變情報機構的文化。

Ms Blears said: "I personally want women to be attracted to a career in intelligence and to feel there is the prospect of real advancement."

布利爾斯女士說，「我個人希望爭取婦女投入情報工作，讓她們覺得情報機關有真實的前景可期。」

She highlighted the particular skills mothers have in building relationships – a vital talent for spies trying to recruit informants.

她強調媽媽尤其擅長建立關係，這是情報員要培養線民所需具備的關鍵才能。

Mrs Blears said: "If all intelligence professionals are cut from the same cloth – sharing similar backgrounds and characteristics – then they are likely to share ’unacknowledged biases’ that will circumscribe both the definition of problems and the search for solutions."

布利爾斯女士說，「要是所有情報人員性質相似，有類似的出身背景、特質，他們就可能都有『未被認知的偏見』，在看清問題和找出解決方案時都將受限。」

Mrs Blears said the need for MI6 officers to be able to deploy abroad – sometimes at short notice – could be a problem for women with children.

她說，軍情六處官員必須可以派駐國外，有時候非常倉促，這點對有小孩的婦女來說，可能會是問題。

新聞辭典

untapped：形容詞，未被利用的、未被開發的（資源、才能、人力等）。例句：Women are an untapped driver of economic growth.（女性是有待開發的經濟成長驅動力。）

cut from the same cloth：動詞片語，（性質、形成方式等）非常相似或一樣。例句：Politicians are cut from the same cloth.（政治人物都一樣。）

at/on short notice：介係詞片語，臨時（告知、通知）、沒太多事前準備時間或警示。例句：My landlord asked me to move out at very short notice.（我房東臨時要我馬上搬家。）