The International Monetary Fund is seeking to replace its ousted former managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and e-mails obtained by CNN News reveal that female staffers are calling for a woman to replace him.
Strauss-Kahn resigned last week as head of the IMF in the face of accusations that he had sexually assaulted a hotel maid in New York City.
The IMF will begin accepting nominations for his replacement--the United Kingdom said that it would back French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde for the position, a position likely to please the women working at the Fund, whose leaked emails obtained by CNN demonstrate a marked displeasure at the lack of female presence.
Emails spoke of a "male dominated workplace," where women "would be naive to pretend that there is no glass ceiling."
Speaking of a work environment where "gender stats speak for themselves," one writer mused if the IMF would do well "to end such a negative impression " and notes that "we now have a good opportunity to voice it out."
An IMF spokesman, responding to the leaked e-mails, told CNN that the fund "is not satisfied with the level of diversity at senior management level and is working to improve this."
On Monday, the IMF told its staff that it is aiming to increase the number of women in senior roles from 20 to 30 percent by 2014. It stated Friday that it hopes to be done with the selection process by June 30.
