Britain's MPs have called for a major overhaul of the UK's intelligence services to recruit more middle-aged women as spies, advocating that they could offer an "untapped recruitment pool."
A report by the UK Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) called for reforms at MI6, MI5 and the GCHQ to promote more women through the ranks and not take them off operational duties after having children.
"Women or mothers in middle age or mid-career have valuable life experience and may offer an untapped recruitment pool," the report said.
"The agencies should therefore use a broad range of mediums and include those specifically aimed at women and mothers - such as [website] Mumsnet."
The study also warned against limiting women to certain jobs.
"Women who have successfully been filling operational roles mustn't be sidelined after they have children," it said.
Hazel Blears, who led the three-year study, criticised a "very traditional male mentality and outlook."
"If all intelligence professionals are cut from the same cloth- sharing similar backgrounds and similar characteristics - then they are likely to share 'unacknowledged biases' which will circumscribe both the definition of problems and the search for solutions.
"Diversity will therefore result in better intelligence analysis and a better response to the range of threats that we face to our national security," she said.
Other recommendations by the committee include offering more centralised career and talent management to help women raise their ambitions and fulfil their potential, encouraging them to set up informal support networks, tackling middle management issues and sharing ideas and initiatives with organisations with similar diversity issues such as partner agencies overseas.
