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you get closer you can tell think about me is: "Oh,
because of the choices they she's a woman doing
make. Working women are p e a c e -
concerned about their keeping." I think it's
careers and about making a rather the other way
mark professionally. round -- here is a
peace-keeper and she
I am a woman who works. is a woman. There is a
The most important things difference. Ask my
to me in my life are my colleagues. I'm a
husband and my children. I peace-keeper
who
have made choices in my happens to be a
career that are forgotten woman.
opportunities; they are not
as important to me as my Q: How do you
husband and my children. explain that there
are more men in
Now, there are also people peace-keeping
who would say: "if your than women?
husband really comes first,
you would be living with First of all, the peace
your husband" ... and we are and security business
trying to make that work. has not traditionally
There is this notion that you been a field that
can get it all. But you cannot women have come
have it all; you have to make into
in
great
choices. As far as careers are numbers. Women are
concerned,
making choices in
are
there
"pylons" and there are their lives. Until we
"pyramids". Pylons are change, for example,
those who rapidly get to the the terms of service in interesting that I'm not doing Q: To those of us
top, whereas the pyramid is peace-keeping and create policy, but support. watching from the out-
somebody who spends more more family duty stations, side, we think: here is a
time at one level, then at we are not going to have Most people here do even woman breaking
another level, and so on. I'm more women. know that I was doing stereotypes, a kind of
a more of a pyramid than a policy-making before. The front runner. Would you
pylon as I did not rise to the This field requires an gender issue never comes up say that you could be a
top of anything. (Editorial ability to be familiar with -- except when there is a role model for others?
note: Ms Lute's husband, Lt. the military audience and discussion about gender!
Gen. Douglas Lute, was the civilian audience -- I was raised to look in, not
appointed at the end ofJune there are not a lot of people Q: You do not feel that to look up, never down,
2007 to serve on President who can do that. More men men treat you different- never look around or to hold
Bush National Security have been in the military ly because you are a anybody responsible. What
Council for Iraq and than women, etc. From all woman? I'm doing is to make the
world a better place. That's
Afghanistan) the stereotypes that we
know, women have tradi- I do not know what they see. what I'm doing for my
Q: You are one of the tionally been in the support You live your life from the family, children, husband,
very few female ASGs roles. I have spent most of inside looking out. I have no colleagues. Therefore, I
in the UN and you are in my career in the policy- idea of what I look from the would not expect anybody
charge of a department making and programme outside looking in. to look up to me. I was
simply not raised that way!
that is very male domi- area -- international policy-
nated -- peace-keeping making, defense policy- By and large, my sense is I raised my own daughter to
is a very masculine making. The position I am that, from my colleagues look in -- don't look around,
look in -- what are you
field. in right now is more of an who know me -- I have been
operational management in peacekeeping now for doing to make things better?
I'm aware that I'm one of the support job. Many of the four years --I do not think What are you not doing that
is causing a problem -- it's
senior women in peace- people who already know that the first thing they think very important to me. Don't
keeping, but I do not think me and come to talk with about is the fact that I'm a
that the first thing people me think it's very woman. spend time looking up!

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