Resource Summary: Madam Secretary

In her memoir, Madam Secretary, Madeleine Albright shares her remarkable story as the highest-ranking woman in American history as she reflects upon her insider’s view of world affairs, including the pursuit of peace in the Middle East. As the first female US Secretary of State, though Albright had many fascinating political and cultural experiences, she also confronted immense difficulties when faced with issuing diplomacy in the patriarchal society of the Middle East. In attempting to drive for global gender equality, Albright reflects on being torn between issuing diplomacy based on female rights or an overall peace agreement between the Middle East and the United States. However, though she was unsure of which goal to ultimately pursue, as she recounts the disheartening state of the oppressed women of the Middle East, Albright conveys her vital decision to primarily promote gender equality.

            As the first female to be inducted into the “fraternity” of US Secretaries of State, Albright was confronted with the choice between pushing for gender equality or general global prosperity straight from the beginning (340). In having to deal with “the problem of operating in a predominantly man’s world,” Albright was weighed down by not only the demanding duties of being Secretary of State, but also the societal demands of that era as she was part of a generation of women who were “uncertain” about whether they could be good wives and mothers and also achieve success in the workplace (12). Because of this wavering idea about the identity of women, Albright was even more determined to prove society wrong by stepping up and leading by example as she boldly and firmly faced the patriarchal society of the Middle East head-on. Visiting various countries within the Middle East and witnessing the restricting societal expectations placed upon the women by the Taliban, Albright recognized these experiences as a chance to implement her gender equality diplomacy. Thus, through witnessing the harsh regulations of the Taliban firsthand, Albright’s determination and interest to bring an end to the tense relations between the Mideast and the United States as well as the lack of rights granted to the women who were forced to live under the dominance of the patriarchal society was ignited.