The Foreign Service Journal, March 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2016 31 sively due to regional responsibilities. Newer female officers and EFMs have expressed concern about such a sharp decline in female leadership at post. For State Department FSOs, this will leave only one female section head as an adviser. To address these and other issues, FWP Coordinator Tran began a series of informal monthly meetings in Panama that rotate between the offices of the senior female section heads. This allows newer employees, particularly EFMs, to learn about the functions of a variety of sections and agencies at post. It also helps integrate the interagency team and keeps everyone informed of management issues, career opportunities and other trends. Recently, the group held an informational brown-bag lunch with the visiting EEO trainer from State’s Office of Civil Rights. We also organized a women’s career panel at a local high school in honor of the International Day of the Girl Child in October 2015. Yes, when needed, we share tips on the best electric breast pump for return to work. But, more importantly, we share advice and strategies for everything from completing office tasks and navigating the Foreign Affairs Manual to bidding for onward assignments. Mentoring One potential best-practice that stemmed from rejuvena- tion of the FWP in Panama is the establishment of a mentoring program at post. Ms. Tran and Ms. Stewart, for example, have formed a formal mentee-mentor relationship. In addition, they help pair other mentees and mentors who request support at post. While men are encouraged to serve as career mentors, our group has found that there is a unique synergy created when senior women share their experiences with those just starting out. There are, of course, other formal mentoring programs avail- able for FSOs, but they generally entail a long-distance relation- ship and are designed to match like-coned FSOs. By contrast, we have found it very beneficial for mentees to be able to reach out to a more senior officer at post for real-time advice and guidance, without having to explain the context of the country, culture or post. In the overseas context, it is also important to take advantage of the interagency team and learn from female role models in the military, the Department of Homeland Security and other fed- eral government agencies. These women have much to share in terms of balancing family and work, career advancement, time management strategies and more. According to the 2014 Foreign Service promotion statistics— the latest statistics available with a breakdown by gender—only