London ( CNN ) Britain needs more women as spies -- and it could do worse than look to recruit them on popular parenting website Mumsnet . That 's according to a report released Thursday by Parliament 's Intelligence and Security Committee . The report recommends targeting women , including mothers and those who are middle-aged or mid-career , to help break through `` the permafrost '' of men in middle management `` who have a very traditional male mentality and outlook . '' The idea that a new cohort of British spies could be signed up via Mumsnet , more usually associated with debates on pregnancy , childcare and homemaking , may surprise some . But lawmaker Hazel Blears , a committee member , said recruiting more women to the three intelligence and security agencies the committee oversees is a crucial way to change the intelligence agencies ' sometimes hidebound culture . The current setup fosters `` a management culture which rewards those who speak the loudest or are aggressive in pursuing their career and does not fully recognise the value of a more consultative , collaborative approach , '' she said . But women 's life experience and other qualities should not be overlooked , she said . In a sign of the changing times , the latest film iteration of British spy James Bond has had a female boss -- `` M , '' played by Judi Dench . But while women currently make up about 37 % of the employees across the UK intelligence agencies , according to the Intelligence and Security Committee report , they make up fewer than one-fifth of those in senior roles . The recruiting idea has met with some amusement in the Mumsnet community . `` If they need someone whose special skill is getting melted chocolate down her dog-haired jumper and not noticing , I 'm their woman , '' posts one Mumsnet user . `` I would LOVE to be a spy . Like actually LOVE it . And no one would suspect me . I am too boring and frumpy , '' writes another . A third , more skeptical , comments : `` Yes , people who ca n't help but type their every passing thought into an online forum would make great spies . '' Besides using women-focused outlets like Mumsnet to reach a new pool of talent , the committee recommends certain steps to make working for MI5 , MI6 and Government Communications Headquarters ( GCHQ ) more tempting for women . These include offering better career management , encouraging women to set up their own informal support networks and not limiting their options if they have children . `` Women who have successfully been filling operational roles must n't be sidelined after they have children . They still have the first class skills that the Agencies helped them to build , so these should be used , '' Blears said . Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright -- who similarly looked into the position of women in the CIA -- backed the UK report and what it said about the value of women in the intelligence agencies . `` Diversity should be pursued -- not just on legal or ethical grounds , important as these are in their own right -- but because it will result in a better response to the range of threats that threaten national security , '' she said .
More opportunities are needed to change the culture of women 's intelligence agencies , she suggests . Mumsnet , an online discussion forum , could be used to reach a new pool of women , it suggests .