'A female diplomat? She sits in the back and looks pretty'

Back when I worked at the German Embassy in London I heard this a lot but I did not know this is also true for very senior staff. A great piece in the Times:

Life as a diplomat in the Middle East can be hair-raising, especially for a woman in her 30s. Here, Jane Marriott, British ambassador to Yemen, explains how it affects her work - and why a night out with military officials is just like going down the pub at home.