Amie Hoeber: Changing role of women in government

Women of Washington

Amie Hoeber: Changing role of women in government

Women of Washington hosts Aileen Black and Gigi Schumm talk to Amie Hoeber, a congressional candidate for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District and former dep...

September 23, 2015 2:32 pm

2 min read

Amie Hoeber - Women of Washington

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On this episode, Women of Washington hosts Amie Hoeber, a congressional candidate for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District and former deputy assistant secretary for Army research and development. Hoeber talks about her history with the defense industry, the changing role of women in the government, and what steps she thinks the U.S. needs to take with foreign policy.

Hoeber has a background in the study of unconventional warfare techniques, having served during the Reagan administration and worked for the Rand Corporation.

“The U.S. research on chemical warfare had been stopped (since 1968), but that led to complacency and our stopping to think about chemical threats,” she said. “My research on that really brought it to the attention of the U.A. military.”

“The U.S. tends to do mirror imaging,” she said. “If we think something shouldn’t be done, we tend to think that everyone else thinks it shouldn’t be done. When the U.S. agrees to stand down on something, we assume everyone else will, and very often that’s not accurate.”

Women of Washington hosts Aileen Black and Gigi Schumm also asked Hoeber about how the acceptance of women in the workplace has changed since the beginning of Hoeber’s career.

“I think the acceptance of women [in the defense industry] has been very much improved,” she said. “There are still some bastions of male chauvinism, but this will ease up over time. I think it is clear that women in the military have to meet the standards for the particular job, but I think they’re proving the ones who do meet the standards do an excellent job.”

Hoeber also discussed mentorship, sponsorship and workplace dynamics. “I liked the Army guys I worked with. I truly did, and I think they truly liked me,” she said “They knew that I had their best interests at hearts and would work hard for them. You not only have to have mentorships and sponsorships, you have to bond with people.”